jBPM on Fedora

Ever since I switched from Windows to Fedora back in August 2008 I have not thought about going back even once. Never before had I seen so many engineering feats put together:

• efficient system resource usage
• quick file manipulation
• consistent file system layout
• isolation between processes
• capable, integrated command set
• uniform software distribution and installation
• so much more!

Many a challenge has come my way, though it always met a clear, rational, repeatable solution, thanks to the enthusiastic community. No reboot-cures-all kind of deal.

Anyhow, during this time I had several occasions to put jBPM under the glass and check how it behaves in combination with various databases in this environment. Setting up any database in Fedora is not always straightforward due to missing, outdated, or overly generic documentation. After spending some time connecting the dots, I was suggested to document my proceedings for future reference.

The database installation guides listed below are the result of the documentation effort. Be assured they have been validated at least twice, each time I upgrade to a new Fedora version.

• DB2
• MySQL
• PostgreSQL
• Sybase
  

If you are looking to run jBPM or any other database application on top of an avant-garde, free and open operating system, these guides should be helpful.

Happy new year!

Update. I added an installation guide for Oracle.

A new LAMP: Linux, Apache, (Java) Middleware and PostgreSQL

If you work in the software industry, particularly if you consume and/or provide free and open source software, you will undoubtedly have come across the LAMP acronym (otherwise, you just did). LAMP is an emblem of free software. Indeed, many web sites out there rely on this versatile software stack.

Nonetheless, for us Java devs, the P is excluding, be it PHP, Python or Perl, whereas the M generates mixed feelings. Of course, the Java platform was freed only recently, which accounts for its absence from the free software stage. Anyhow, Java is free nowadays. Wikipedia states the following about LAMP.

the combination has become popular because of its low acquisition cost and the ubiquity of its components, which come bundled with most current Linux distributions.

OpenJDK is available from the package repositories of Fedora 9 and Ubuntu 8.04. I have confirmed it can be installed as easily as Apache, MySQL or PostgreSQL in those Linux distributions and undoubtely in others as well.

What about the database? Like I said, mixed feelings there. MySQL claims to be the world's most popular open source database, whereas PostgreSQL is allegedly the world's most advanced open source database. 'Nuf said. No, really.

In recent experiences with jBPM testing, the easy setup and low maintenance requirements of MySQL have been a pleasant surprise. No doubt it is more popular. Conversely, the PostgreSQL community's ability to roll out new features (foreign keys, views, subselects, transactions and, more recently, two-phase commit) well in advance of its open source competence, makes it a distinctly compelling product.

Free software is about choice. Time for a new LAMP?