Hi all.
First of all, thanks to @giacomo and @davidep to give me the opportunity to work on this fantastic product!
We want to implement a NethServer and Microsoft SQL Integration.
As first step, we want to create a package called nethserver-mssql that will include Microsoft repository configuration and a script to auto-install the package (including firewall basic rules).
Admin have to choose the edition to install (e.g. express or full) and the idea is to set it with a setprop like this config setprop mssql ProductId express and then save it with signal-event. This will install chosen version.
As second step then we want to create a cockpit interface to manage it.
We never opposed multiple solutions for the same task. That’s why both mysql (mariadb) and PostgreSQL live side by side on NethServer.
And since MS made MSSQL packages for Linux it can be installed on Linux too.
More info on MSSQL on Linux: https://docs.microsoft.com/nl-nl/sql/linux/sql-server-linux-faq?view=sql-server-ver15
BEWARE: MSSQL is NOT opensource! Licensing is available in a PDF sheet
You can use MSSQL for free in Express version and Developer version. https://www.microsoft.com/nl-nl/sql-server/sql-server-downloads and there is a free trial version.
So don’t jump to high with joy because you can use MSSQL on Linux…
I still consider MS the wolf in sheeps clothes… Looking at their development of Windows10, them joining Google and Facebook in mass surveillance of their customers, I would not use MSSQL any time soon.
I agree with @robb and @stephdl: I’m not really happy to have closed stuff into NethServer, maybe it is even worst because it’s coming from MS
Sad that, this features can be considered an attraction for software companies looking for a stable OS running MSSQL. I have to admit that here, in Italy, we have a lot of companies running their own management software on MSSQL server.
I back @federico.ballarini proposal to ease the MSSQL installation without putting Microsoft package into our repos.
This choice should make clear the purpose of the integration: “You can run your MSSQL server on a stable Linux distribution, but we do not directly support the database itself”.
In the end, what I want to avoid are supports request related to DB engine itself.
Yes it is an issue on our part. We have dozen of tickets (mostly MySQL) where the tables are screwed and you have to recover it I do not want to do it for MSSQL.