[debian-mysql] Bug#463137: mysql-server-5.0: "Specified key was too long; max key length is 1000 bytes" with utf8

[Alexander Schories]

Package: mysql-server-5.0
Version: 5.0.45-5
Severity: important
Tags: patch l10n


Dear valued maintainers,


as all common major web applications - such as MediaWiki, Typo3, Joomla,
etc. - are demanding UTF-8 capable databases to serve a global world
with all its languages, it would be best if  debian's wonderfull mysql
packages would be really UTF-8 ready from thestart, means 
without manual recompilation of the package(s).


The bug is well known to mysql:

http://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=4541


And there is already a patch:

http://lists.mysql.com/commits/40433


Like many others users i do disagree with the mysql maintainers
decission not to "push" the patch into the source repositories because 
of a slight increase of the memory footprint and just a slight 
decreases of performance: I10n, means UTF-8, is much more important 
than a SLIGHT performance decrease JUST FOR THOSE USERS, who choose 
to EFFECTIVELY make use of the raised key length.

So while this patch won't affect or harm non-UTF-8 interested users it 
will make UTF-8 life in this global world much easier for all debian 
people, web users like web admins.

Thank you very much for your hard work again! :)


Alexander Schories
Tuebingen, Germany



-- System Information:
Debian Release: lenny/sid
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (990, 'testing'), (500, 'unstable'), (500, 'stable'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: i386 (i686)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.22-3-k7 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=de_DE.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=de_DE.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash

Versions of packages mysql-server-5.0 depends on:
ii  adduser                 3.105            add and remove users and groups
ii  debconf [debconf-2.0]   1.5.18           Debian configuration management sy
ii  libc6                   2.7-6            GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii  libdbi-perl             1.601-1          Perl5 database interface by Tim Bu
ii  libgcc1                 1:4.3-20080116-1 GCC support library
ii  libmysqlclient15off     5.0.45-5         MySQL database client library
ii  libncurses5             5.6+20080105-1   Shared libraries for terminal hand
ii  libreadline5            5.2-3            GNU readline and history libraries
ii  libstdc++6              4.3-20080116-1   The GNU Standard C++ Library v3
ii  libwrap0                7.6.dbs-14       Wietse Venema's TCP wrappers libra
ii  lsb-base                3.1-24           Linux Standard Base 3.1 init scrip
ii  mysql-client-5.0        5.0.45-5         MySQL database client binaries
ii  mysql-common            5.0.45-5         MySQL database common files
ii  passwd                  1:4.1.0-2        change and administer password and
ii  perl                    5.8.8-12         Larry Wall's Practical Extraction 
ii  psmisc                  22.6-1           Utilities that use the proc filesy
ii  zlib1g                  1:1.2.3.3.dfsg-8 compression library - runtime

Versions of packages mysql-server-5.0 recommends:
ii  bsd-mailx [mailx]  8.1.2-0.20071201cvs-2 A simple mail user agent
ii  mailx              1:20071201-2          Transitional package for mailx ren

-- debconf information:
  mysql-server/root_password: (password omitted)
  mysql-server-5.0/really_downgrade: false
  mysql-server-5.0/start_on_boot: true
  mysql-server-5.0/nis_warning:
  mysql-server-5.0/postrm_remove_databases: false
  mysql-server-5.0/no_upgrade_with_isam_tables:
* mysql-server-5.0/mysql_install_db_notes:
* mysql-server-5.0/need_sarge_compat: false
  mysql-server/error_setting_password:
  mysql-server-5.0/mysql_update_hints1:
  mysql-server-5.0/need_sarge_compat_done: true