[debian-mysql] Request for release team decision on MySQL and MariaDB [was: Re: Bug#793316: Bug#793316: transition: mysql-5.6]

[Pedretti Fabio]

2016-01-07 15:49 GMT+01:00 Norvald H. Ryeng <norvald.ryeng at oracle.com>:

> On Fri, 18 Dec 2015 22:31:05 +0100, Robie Basak <robie.basak at ubuntu.com>
> wrote:
>
> 20:13:13 <pochu> 3- we have two forks of the same codebase
>>
>
> That's not something upstream can do anything about. And if having
> forks is a problem, why wasn't that issue raised when MariaDB was
> accepted into Debian?
>
> Debian carries other forks, e.g.:
>
>  - GNU Emacs and XEmacs
>  - djbdns and dbndns
>  - FreeMind and Freeplane
>  - Nagios and Icinga
>
> I don't see any reason why MySQL and MariaDB should be any different
> from other software.
>

 Note however that for other debian packaged softwares a choice was made,
here are some I just remember:
- openoffice / libreoffice
- xfree86 / xorg
- libav / ffmpeg

Actually mariadb and mysql can be used as alternative, but what should do
in the future packages depending on them when they'll start to diverge?
Specify just one of them as an explicit requirement? But then some packages
depending on one cannot be installed along packages depending on the other
because mariadb and mysql cannot installed at the same time?
Or just use a set of common features compatible with both, possibly being
unoptimal with both? And which one should users install?

I think that in the interest of Debian a choice should be made, as it was
recently made with the libav / ffmpeg alternatives. Also other distros
already did a choice. Users needing the other can still install from a 3rd
party repository.

Note: I am not a Debian developer, just a user.
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