[Question] Comparing Install Methods

[Rolandefleur]

Newbie question here... Read most of the Ascent setup guides (most of which are very helpful) and found that there were many options. What I have not seen are answers to the following questions:


MySQL vs WhyDB which should be used?
(I suspect the answer is 'it doesn't matter if all you are doing is using it for the WoW emulator)

NaviCat vs SQLyog vs MySQL GUI/Workbench - which is better?
If I'm willing to learn how to admin a database using the tools provided by the database provider, why do I need another program?

Tortoise SVN - do I really need it? It looks like it would be great for tracking any and all changes you would make to your database. Does it track the database at the record level? or is it just a file version tracker at the OS level?

Repack vs download and compile - if I plan on customizing the program, which makes the most sense? Do I need to load .NET Framework if I use a repack?

Historically, how often do the repacks get upgraded? If Blizzard decides to release 2.4.4, how long should I expect it to take before a repack is available? How about the new base refresh that I would just compile and add in?

How are upgrades to the Ascent server managed? Does anyone put out a 2.4.2 to 2.4.3 patch that updates the database with just what changes? or do you all reload the whole thing each time?

What about platforms? Does it make more sense to run MySQL on Linux to take advantage of muliple process daemons or multi-threading of the program and admin it using Navicat or SQLYog remotely? or do all the tools/parts need to be on the same server? Is there a release of Ascent for Ubuntu?

Thanks in advance for anyone patient enough to provide through answers or links to answers to these questions! Just asking before I build a server the wrong way.