http://www.xbox.com/en-US/news/2005/0914-xbox360launchdates.htm

Heise Security writes about the UDF Buffer Overflow in MySQL (CAN-2005-2558).

The bug is fixed in 4.0.25, 4.1.13 and 5.0.7 (beta). It is exploitable only if

• your MySQL port is reachable,
• and you are authenticated,
• and you have permission to execute create function. To be able to do this, you need INSERT privilege on the mysql.func table, that is, you usually are already root on your server.

The bug is consequently considered not critical.

System integrators that provide MySQL as …

I think that title has to go to Index Ventures, home of Danny Rimer and a portfolio that includes Skype, MySQL, Zend, Trolltech, Jaluna, and others. Index has perhaps the most interesting portfolio of any venture firm I know.

And great people. I met with Danny this morning to learn about interesting new startups in Europe. (SecureWave is one, btw. Permissions applications and devices that can touch a corporate network or one of its nodes (laptop, desktop).) It became clear that a great deal of cool companies are founded here - fewer, unfortunately, get funded, as Matthew Langham has lamented before.

I was especially intrigued by Danny's interest (and investment) in Trolltech. I've known the company ever since Lineo partnered with it on the Sharp Zaurus deal we did together, but never managed to keep up …

I asked for a performance review from my boss a while ago, and I got it on Tuesday. It was all good news. There is something clear that I need to work on, which is much, much better than having nowhere to improve :)

My manager said that he is happy with my work and that I have been quite innovative.

I've been getting up around 7:00 in the morning, showering, shaving, dressing, and getting to the MySQL offices around 7:45 - 8:30 (depending on whether I have breakfast at the hotel.)

When I get to the offices, I try to get all of the internet-related work (grabbing libraries, header files I'll need, programs I need to work on, etc) on to my system.

I also try to call hannahadams and remind her how much I miss her. I tell …

I have been hearing a bit of buzz about EnterpriseDB latley. I think the main reason is that they just secured $7 million in venture capital funding.

What is EnterpriseDB?

EnterpriseDB is based on the source code for the open source PostgreSQL database server. PostgreSQL is the most fully featured open source database out there, they already support pretty much everything on the MySQL 5 feature list.

What the EnterpriseDB people have done is taken the PostgreSQL source code and added features to make it more compatable with Oracle.

EnterpriseDB 2005?s built-in compatibility features allow most existing Oracle-based applications to run unchanged. If you are building new applications, there is no need to learn new versions of SQL syntax, …

There are lots of ways to select a random record or row from a database table. Here are some example SQL statements that don't require additional application logic, but each database server requires different SQL syntax.

Select a random row with MySQL:

SELECT column FROM table
ORDER BY RAND()
LIMIT 1

Select a random row with PostgreSQL:

SELECT column FROM table
ORDER BY RANDOM()
LIMIT 1

Select a random row with Microsoft SQL Server:

SELECT TOP 1 column FROM table
ORDER BY NEWID()

Select a random row with IBM DB2

SELECT column FROM table
ORDER BY RAND() 
FETCH FIRST 1 ROWS ONLY

Thanks Tim

Select a random record with Oracle:

SELECT column FROM 
( SELECT column FROM table
  ORDER BY …

As one of my tasks for the documentation team, I am working on a new sample database that can be used by authors to help with examples for MySQL syntax, similar to Oracle's Scott and Microsoft's Northwind database. I'm probably going to call it the Sakila database, and if it is of sufficient quality I may even get it into the installer as an optional component.

I've finished creating the design, building the tables, and populating them with data, and I have even added a couple of views and stored procedures. The big challenge I have now is getting outside feedback. That, dear user, is where you come in.

A draft of the database is available at http://www.openwin.org/mike/download/sakila.zip

If you have a chance, please download it, read the readme, install it, and kick the tires. If you are an author, please look at it from the point of view of …

MacOS X 10.2 doesn’t have poll(2).

Why they don’t, who knows. It’s not as if it’s new or anything. At least they do in future versions. I think I recall reading somewher that the OS X 10.1 implementation was buggy, so I think they pulled it out of 10.2 - for some people….

oh fun.

Schema design can be a bitch, when you do not have proper tools.

So MySQL now has the tools: What formerly was DB Designer from fabforce.net is now becoming MySQL Workbench. The Alpha has just been released and is available for Download. MySQL provides a Support Forum, if you run into questions.

(via …

I got a call last week from the Wahpeton (North Dakota) Daily News. Folks in this small town (where I spent most of grade and middle school) got wind of Pro MySQL and were interested in doing an article on the author that hails from Wahpeton.

I'm supposed to get some physical copies shortly, but for now must be satisfied with the portion of the story available on the Daily News online version. The online article doesn't indicate the title of the book, hopefully people who read it and feel compelled to make a purchase will find their way to it.

If you don't have access to the acknowledgements of the book, mine begin with:

I grew up in a tiny town in North Dakota where it was not unusual to see a tumbleweed roll through the middle of town and movies always came six …