[NBLUG/talk] Transferring data from Oracle to an open-source database

[Lincoln Peters]

I have a project I've been working on for the database class at SSU.  
It's starting to look like my project will be useful well beyond this 
class, so I'd like to transfer it from the CS department's Oracle server 
("kirby") to my own server.  I'd rather not have to deal with the 
licensing issues (not to mention cost) of running my own Oracle server, 
so I'd like to migrate it to an open-source SQL database such as MySQL 
or PostgreSQL.

What I'd like to find out is:

* Which open-source database is preferred?  As far as I can tell, MySQL 
is the most popular, but I've heard good things about PostgreSQL as well.

* Based on my understanding of the Perl DBI (which I've studied but have 
not yet used), it should be a simple matter to transfer all of the 
existing records from the Oracle database into any other RDBMS supported 
by the Perl DBI.  Assuming that I use either MySQL or PostgreSQL, will 
this be a simple task?


Thanks in advance.


-- 
Lincoln Peters
<sampln at sbcglobal.net>

Where you stand depends on where you sit.
		-- Rufus Miles, HEW