Python does not play well with others

[Paul Boddie]

Chris Mellon wrote:
> On 02 Feb 2007 11:10:04 -0800, Paul Rubin
> <"http://phr.cx"@nospam.invalid> wrote:
> > "Paul Boddie" <paul at boddie.org.uk> writes:
> > > If the hosting provider doesn't want to install MySQLdb then it may
> > > not be a technical issue - perhaps they just can't be bothered to
> > > install it, possibly because there's no demand or benefit to the
> > > bottom line in doing so.
> >
> > Why should the hosting provider need to devote attention to something
> > like that?

I agree with the remark about paying them for the service. The only
reason why a provider would have Python available, an allocation of
MySQL database instances per user, but not MySQLdb installed, would be
that they want to stick with a conservative set of packages which
requires zero admin (and thus zero outlay on administration), and that
they don't understand obvious requirements for using MySQL with
Python. I don't think they'd get my business.

[...]

> There are a number of languages which are primarily used for "web
> development". PHP is the *only* one that ships with MySQL client
> access.
>
> Ruby doesn't (only primarily web development because of rails)
> ASP, either .NET or classic, doesn't.
> Java (in any form I'm aware of) doesn't.

You need to get the MySQL Connector/J driver, or whatever it's called
this month.

> Cold Fusion doesn't.
> Perl doesn't.
>
> Who wants to host at a company that can't install packages anyway?

Quite. I imagine that most GNU/Linux distributions (and various BSDs)
provide at least some version of MySQLdb as a package. If a company
can't manage to provide Python plus MySQL, and then let their users
combine the two by installing a stock package (a single command or
some mouse clicks in the package manager), without offering up
"concerns" about how "secure" such a package might be (which I imagine
some providers might do if they want to discourage people from using
it), then I'd be a bit more concerned about how well they're keeping
up with security updates and how good they are at performing other
elementary administration tasks.

Paul