This is the second part in a series of posts about how the MepSQL packages were built. In part 1 I evaluated OpenSuse Build System and Launchpad PPA and ended up concluding that running your own BuildBot system is the best choice, as those public services didn't provide any facility to test their packages.

This brings us to the next topic: As I don't possess any servers, should I buy one (or more) or should I try out the cloud services? If yes, should I use Amazon EC2 or something else?

This is the first part of many posts in a series of blog posts where I want to document how the MepSQL packages were built. By doing that, I will also end up covering the MariaDB build system (which this is based on), some of BuildBot, Amazon EC2 cloud and packaging DEBs and RPMs just in general, so it could be interesting from many perspectives. In this first part I'll simply scribble some notes about reviewing the OpenSuse Build System, Launchpad PPA service vs using your own servers and automating the builds with BuildBot.

Originally I just wanted to work on some new ideas on the automated build and QA system used by MariaDB. But since leaving Monty Program I didn't have access to any of those servers anymore, so as a first step I had to look into what alternatives there are for building binary packages for many operating systems and hardware platforms. In fact, this was another thing I had wanted to learn more about for a while. For instance Michal Hrušecký uses OpenSuse Build Service to build both MySQL and MariaDB packages for all RPM based distributions in the blink of an eye - I was interested to find out what's behind that magic.

After another week of hacking on MepSQL the DEB files for Ubuntu are now available.(MepSQL is my new "just a hobby" MySQL fork project.)

The Download page has instructions on how to install the packages with a simple apt-get install command. Debian packages will appear soon as they are now easy to add - I mostly just need to add new Amazon images for each.

Some time ago Stephen O'Grady and Brian Aker had an interesting Blogo-dialogue about what they call the "Cambrian Explosion" of open source development. The Cambrian Explosion means that we increasingly see forks of projects being developed in different directions, where traditionally we are used to open source development happening in relatively hierarchical and easy to follow upstream and downstream relationships. This is exactly what happens in the MySQL community currently, where in total there is more progress than ever before, but that progress is divided among several competing forks, none of which is strictly in an upstream-downstream hierarchy with each other.

I used to be a bit frustrated about this state of affairs, believing that if at least most of the forks could co-operate on a common tree, we would see even faster progress. But when I left MariaDB some months ago, I realized that the situation is what it is and since all existing MySQL variants are associated with a commercial vendor, there wasn't an obvious choice for me to continue contributing, which I still want to do. So I thought I might as well embrace this Cambrian Explosion thing and just publish my own fork as a contribution to the community.

And this is where I today announce the new MepSQL project and the immediate availability of MepSQL 5.1.52-alpha1.