AliSQL: Alibaba's open-source MySQL with vector and DuckDB engines

Alibaba just open‑sourced AliSQL, a MySQL remix that bundles in DuckDB for quick, spreadsheet‑style analytics and teases future AI vector search (think: math fingerprints for text/images) with up to 16,383 dimensions using a fast “find‑the‑nearest‑thing” algorithm. Translation: do everyday app stuff and data crunching in one place. The crowd? Loud. The repo landed and HTAP—hybrid transactional/analytical processing, mixing live app data with analytics—had people cheering. One fan called the embedded analytics a productivity “massive win”, while another asked how it stacks up against pg_duckdb, the Postgres add‑on doing similar tricks. The Postgres crew flexed: “extensions > forks,” pointing to clean integration via Postgres’ plugin system. Meanwhile, AliSQL stans fired back: native engine, familiar MySQL, fewer moving parts. Keyframe even dropped a spicy crossover: “MySQL + DuckDB + vectors = Vespa‑lite?” The drama escalated when a commenter scolded the laugh‑react crowd—no giggles allowed—as the MySQL vs Postgres turf war warmed up. Behind the memes (“Duck season? DuckDB season!”) were real questions: will planned vector search and faster schema changes beat the Postgres extension ecosystem, or is this just a shiny fork? Curious minds dove into AliSQL’s DuckDB page (link) to see if the hype matches reality.