Maybe off-topic: Why MySQL so popular? (or why PostgreSQL so un-popular?)

I know this is not a forum about advocacy, but I 
thought I'd ask here, as I'm sure you'll be able 
to ellaborate on the subject. 

After being forced to use MySQL for a while, I'm 
extremely irritated, and intrigued with the fact 
that being such a crap as it is, MySQL has become 
*the* standard database for Linux/Unix based web 
servers.

For heaven's sake, PostgreSQL ships with RedHat 
(which I think is the most widely used Linux 
distribution for web hosters), and MySQL does 
not (well, now it does ship with RH 7.1, but 
I think it didn't before);  PG is much more 
solid, it is much more ANSI-SQL compliant -- 
MySQL does not support transactions, does not 
feature referential integrity -- and they have 
the face to mention the lack of R.I. as a good 
thing!!! , MySQL does not support views, sub-
queries...  I get the feeling that MySQL is 
just a thin layer on top of C's FILE * or 
C++'s file streams!!!

If you tell me:  nobody is forcing you to use 
MySQL -- the Linux and Open Source world is 
about choice....  Wrong!  (in this case).  I 
haven't been able to find a web hoster (decent 
or not) that offers PostgreSQL among their 
services (now, if we add the extra restriction 
of *decent* web hosters, go figure...  Though 
you could say that the very fact that they 
offer PG would make them decent web hosters? :-)). 

I even tried the search engine at www.webhosters.com, 
and they don't even have a checkbox for PostgreSQL 
in the search criteria!!! 

I'm so frustrated!!  Could somebody tell me at 
least a reason for which MySQL could have become 
so popular?  Maybe knowing that there is a 
concrete reason will help me alleviate this 
deep feeling of irritation...  :-( 

Of course, alternate solutions are also acceptable 
(i.e., pointers to web hosters that offer PgSQL 
along with a good package and good quality of 
services?  :-))

Cheers,

Carlos
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