Is Sybase targeting MS SQL or PostgreSQL or both? That's what developers and DBAs have been asking themselves after last week's big announcement by Sybase that it has released a free (as in beer) version of the Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) database - which Sybase claims is the first free Linux enterprise-class database for production use.

When last week Sybase launched a free version of their flagship database for Linux, Sybase ASE Express Edition for Linux, developers naturally stopped to take a look since many are permanently on the qui vive for an alternative to Microsoft SQL Server.

This was especially true since Sybase characterized ASE as "the first enterprise-class commercial database that can take you from pilot to deployment for zero dollars and zero risk."

That latter claim, a reference to Sybase's contention that this new edition involves zero software licensing costs and zero maintenance costs, particularly caught the community's attention.

At the page of the Sybase site announcing the release, the company describes how with ASE Express Edition for Linux developers will be able to develop a pilot project on Linux "without cost or risk AND without scrimping on performance or manageability."

"Since it's an industrial-strength data management platform," the Sybase site continues, "you'll be able to handle growth and evolving requirements without painful, expensive upgrades."

So, is this a chance for developers and DBAs now to make their argument against the continued adoption of Microsoft Corp.-based solutions? One commentator, the columnist David Berlind, thinks not because he sees too many limitations to the release.

Here are the terms, as announced:

Terms and Conditions for Sybase ASE Express Edition for Linux

• ASE Express Edition is limited to use of one CPU, 5GB of data storage and 2GB of RAM.

• No other purchase is required.

• Optional support plans, including telephone support and named support contacts, are available starting at US$2200 per year.

• Advanced support plans are also available.

Developers interested in re-distributing ASE Express Edition can contact Sybase's Business Solutions Alliance team for more information.

Some early critics wondered if 5GB of storage was really enough in this day and age, when other projects using free, open-source databases tend offer as much 10-20GB, while IT columnist David Berlind underlined that, since ASE for Linux "is free only in specific configurations," perhaps judgement should be reserved. In particular he noted that the one-CPU rule was very restrictive.

But it has been quickly pointed out that you can use this version of ASE on a machine with any number of CPUs - the issue is that you can't configure it to use more than one CPU at a time (i.e. you can only configure one engine).

Jerry Schuman, CTO of VERSIFI Technologies, has no qualms at all about the database. "Sybase ASE gives us the most bang for the buck in e-business functionality, performance and scalability," he declared. "That's why we develop on it ourselves and why we recommend it to our customers."

Supporters of the whole ASE initiative were quick to point out that Sybase is supported by numerous open-source projects, including sqsh (SQL shell), FreeTDS, and SybPerl, and claimed that indeed ASE Express makes it easy to convert from Microsoft SQL.

"Imagine thousands of independent software developers with an alternative to MSQL within easy reach," wrote one to the Slashdot discussion site. Another observed that, rather than targeting MS SQL, Sybase seem to be targeting mostly Linux developers - so it's competition for PostgreSQL.

As ever, developers will decide for themselves.