I just saw an Oracle banner ad on Slashdot that read: "Looking for the #1 database on Linux?" Curious, I clicked on it. After several redirects, it took me to this page.

Just for the record, it says, among other things:

Oracle9i Database on Linux is a fast, reliable and cost-effective way to grow your business without growing your budget.

Nowhere on that page do they provide justification for their claim that Oracle9i is the "#1 database on Linux." You know why? Because it's not. Not by a long shot. You see, Oracle is expensive. Most Linux users are quite happy with PostgreSQL or MySQL.

"Ah," you say, "they're marketing to the corporate world." Maybe. But on Slashdot?!?! I can think of about 50 other sites that they ought advertise on first.

Oh, and if Oracle is so good, why has Slashdot's parent company decided to use IBM's DB2 as the back-end for their only product?

That page also says...

Voted Linux Journal Editors' Choice for "sheer performance", Oracle9i Database on Linux is Unbreakable.

What the hell to Linux Journal's editors know about databases? Are any of them DBAs? What sort of applications have they been building with Oracle?

Oh, well. Back to my real writing.

Update: Google speaks the truth. When you search Google for "The #1 Database on Linux" the first link you get is for MySQL. Oracle is #3 on the list. Heh. Nice try Mr. Ellison. (For some reason Linux Journal is #4 in the results. Must have a lot more to do with "linux" than "database".

Posted by jzawodn at September 02, 2002 01:33 AM

Reader Comments
# kasia said:

My experience with Oracle on Linux culminating in costly hair tearing and move to MySQL.

on September 2, 2002 09:39 AM
# Dan de Isaacs said:

Larry Responds: "Hasan Chomp!"

on September 2, 2002 08:47 PM
# Jean said:

It is typical of Oracle to make unsubstantiated claims. You should have heard Larry at LinuxWorld ... #1 in performance. They haven't released a single benchmark on Linux to back this up. The only Linux database I know of to have released performance numbers is DB2.

And what makes Oracle on Linux "cost effective"? Why ould you want to pay almost $90K to run a database on a single 2P system ... see http://ibm.com/db2/linux/comparison.html

Thanks Larry, but I'll stick to open source.

on September 12, 2002 11:23 AM
# victor said:

There are times when you can't use open source databases(customers' prefferences...)
But when I have to build a system I always recommend IBM DB2... :))

on September 25, 2002 03:47 AM
# Jam Flava said:

Has anyone ever tried the Sap DB? i hear its features are comparable with Oracle but like Oracle is a monster to tame. But unlike Oracle its Free under GPL. Any comments? -J. F.

on March 18, 2003 04:14 PM
# Just Me said:

I saw that Sybase is offering ASE on Linux to download for FREE.

http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/09/09/0556229&tid=221&tid=1&tid=106

on October 1, 2004 09:33 PM
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