On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 01:35:44 -0700, Jeremy Zawodny <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 26, 2004 at 01:26:15PM -0500, gerald_clark wrote:
> >
> > Steve Richter wrote:
> >
> > >exactly! Is Linux distributed under the same type of license as MySql? If
> > >I sell software that runs on linux I dont have to give away my code, right?
> > >To use my software you first have to install no charge Linux and MySql. Why
> > >would that not be permitted?
> >
> > Because the MySQL license does not allow you to use it free with
> > commercial software that requires MySQL. If you are running
> > commercial software that requires MySQL you must buy a license.
>
> And this is where the confusion start. MySQL is covered by the GPL.
> So is Linux.
As far as the server goes, sure.
However there is a key difference in that APIs such as glibc on Linux are licensed under the LGPL. The mysql client libraries used to be the same way, then they changed them to be under the GPL.
So don't use the MySQL client libraries.<g>
This means that, according to the most common interpretation of the GPL, just linking with them automatically requires your code be under the GPL.
License: >>The GPL license is contagious in the sense that when a program is linked to a GPL program, all the source code for all the parts of the resulting product must also be released under the GPL. <<
So what if the client app doesn't require the MySql client libraries in order to access the MySQL database? My client application requires no dll's at all, because everything is compiled inside an .exe file. That's because I'm using a 3rd party set of components that bypasses the libmysql*.dll libraries altogether. My application doesn't link to MySQL's code, GPL or otherwise. Does this now make my application license free even if I distribute it for $$$? Or will the software police come banging on my door at 4 AM looking for me?
Mike
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