Developer & Community links are gone from MySQL.com web-site | Hacker News Reader

Developer & Community links are gone from MySQL.com web-site

mysql.com

46 pointslapusta19 comments

Casually browsing around the site, I'm having a difficult time figuring out how to download MySQL for free...

edit: http://mysql.org redirects to http://dev.mysql.com.

They've completely segmented the navigation between the commercial and developer sections of the site.

There's a "Downloads" tab right there at the top, I'm assuming that the "Community Server" is the free version, no? I haven't set up MySQL in years so I don't know what the site looked like before this but I wouldn't exactly classify it as hard to find...

There's only a downloads tab if you know to go to .org and .com. The .com site has no mention of the free version (or link over to the .org site) like it did until today.

There is no Downloads tab on http://www.mysql.com, what the parent submitted.

I see - posted link, no download tab; parent link, download tab...so, dev.mysql.com has a link, and www.mysql.com does not. I can see a case for them pushing the commercial product, but they haven't buried the free version just yet.

Oracle scores a few points for ruthless efficiency. No more Sun.com and no obvious way to download MySQL for free in just a couple of days. PostgreSQL is going to blow up.

While it's not impossible, downloading an older version of java this week required jumping through new Oracle hoops on top of the already painful process Sun put in place. Please, Oracle, just give me a straightforward download link without requiring registration and I'll sing your praises everywhere.

At least they have kept good old http://java.sun.com/

I was browsing the Java API docs a few days ago when I noticed that the shortcut icon (left of the URL in firefox) had changed from a steaming mug, to a white O on a red background.

That's when it really hit me.

(Though I think Oracle have changed the icon back since.)

Much easier to just go to http://askmonty.org/wiki/index.php/MariaDB

Maybe it's the first step of integrating mysql.com into Oracle's web-site and developer site into OTN as they are doing with sun.com now.

They promised MySQL will be a separate division inside company, but said nothing about the site AFAIR.

MySQL web site has always been horrible for navigation and community version download purposes. This is nothing new -- the site and the steps to download look pretty much the same as before Oracle.

I panicked slightly when I noticed that there were no documentation links visible. Luckily they're all still there at http://dev.mysql.com.

It has that Oracle enterprisey lock-in feel now, move along to Postgres and mongoDB which I did. I am really loving mongodb for most stuff and Postgres for ad-hoc, searching needs.

If Java becomes assimilated into the Borgacle, then how does the ease and openness of developing for, oh, say, Android change? Are others seeing a less open future or am I paranoid?

Android only uses Java as a specification, so you're safe there. More generally, I think there are a lot of big players who are willing to spend a lot of money to keep Java free and open. IBM is the most likely savior should the world need one.

From a game theory standpoint, Oracle knows this. So, they're not likely to do anything too greedy.

They could put a link to this phrase they have on the top of the site "The world's most popular open source database", similarly to how they are linking to Sun servers.

The downloads are at http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.1.html

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