On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:25:13 -0400, Steve Teale
<steve.te...@britseyeview.com> wrote:
On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:42:13 -0400, Steven Schveighoffer wrote:
On Sun, 16 Oct 2011 02:13:05 -0400, Steve Teale
<steve.te...@britseyeview.com> wrote:
There's a discussion going on about Windows header files that has
discussed whether header files can be copyright.
Header files may be an issue with the database implementations. For
example my mysql.d is a straight translation of mysql.h (and a couple
of others). Does that mean it is tainted by GPL and I can't make it
Boost?
A direct translation is a derivative work. So yes, it must be GPL.
However, there must be ways around this. I believe headers have certain
rules in most licenses.
You will definitely need some sort of non-translated header though. I'm
not a license expert, so I don't know to what lengths you need to go to
re-license the header.
However, what about mysql itself? If the header is GPL, so is the
library, no? I'm assuming you are not reimplementing the mysql client
lib? Linking against a GPL library is definitely not going to be
acceptable in a phobos module.
-Steve
Hmm, I just did a quick check, and the MySQL client/server protocol is
GPL also, so there's nowhere to go.
Protocol cannot be copyrighted. A protocol is carefully formatted data,
but not *MySQL's* data, it's *your* data.
If they want to attempt to say my passing "select name, bar, gobbledegook
from myPrivateDatabase" to a server makes my code GPL, be my guest, I
don't even think I'd need a lawyer to defend that :) Here is a good post
discussing it: http://krow.livejournal.com/684068.html?thread=2670116
But the library can be copyrighted (and the protocol description). Given
mysql's sales model (and the company behind it), you would need a very
meticulously documented process to clean-room implement it in a way that
could be defended, and even then Walter may not go for inclusion in
phobos, he is allergic to even the *notion* that something might be
challenged in court being in D/phobos.
How do Python and PHP communicate with MySQL. Is it just that they have
the clout to get a dispensation from MySQL AB?
little searching reveals:
http://www.mysql.com/about/legal/licensing/foss-exception/
Note PHP and Python are both in the license list, whereas Boost is not :(
Does this stuff have to go in some repository like the proposed Deimos (a
figure representing dread in Greek Mythology) where you will presumably
often encounter dread licensing gotchas?
I'd imagine so. Another option is to reimplement libmysql.
Sorry :(
-Steve
