> GUID's are a Microsoft 'invention' aren't they?
> Are we going to have to start paying royalties when ever we
> use them - on Linux only systems?
> Perhaps a 'Firebird' unique ID is about due?

No, guids are based on uuids, which I think were designed by OSF or
someone. Microsoft just re-branded them GUID.

If anyones interested, I've got an uuid udf for Firebird. It is both
linux and windows, and can create both 38 char GUIDs or 22 char
UUIDs (the 22 char version is a compressed guid with the byte order
reversed to make it index better.) There are also functions to
convert between the two forms.

Regards
Ian Newby