Re: LGPL

John,

> What are your thoughts on using the glib
> (http://developer.gnome.org/doc/API/2.2/glib/index.html) library for
> some functionality in pg?
> Additionally,. I came across this fine library
> (http://home.gna.org/uri/uri.en.html) which I'd like to use as a base
> for a new URI type, unfortunately it's GPL, so based on the above I'm
> guessing using it as is, is out of the question?

Both of these would be fine as add-ins to be distributed *separately* through
pgFoundry or even the mirrors if they prove popular. Bundling them in
unified distribution binaries with PostgreSQL would be a significant problem.

You see this in other projects all the time: "Requriements: ______, which is
GPL and can be downloaded from __________ ." We've managed so far to avoid
needing external libraries which are not standard on most POSIX platforms,
and it would be nice to keep it that way instead of doing the "component
easter egg hunt" (which users of Linux multimedia apps are familiar with).

This means that you're unlikely to be able to use glib unless it becomes
standard on POSIX platforms, and someone makes a Windows port. Out of
curiosity, what did you want to use it *for*?

As for a URI type, I don't see the problem with doing that as a PostgreSQL
add-in downloadable from PGFoundry. Given the variety of URI
implementations, I'm not sure we'd want a single URI type as standard anyway.
According to the FSF's junior licensing maven, building in a GPL data type or
other plug-in would make *your instance* of PostgreSQL GPL, but so does PL/R
and PostGIS, so that's nothing new. It just needs to be distributed
separately.

FYI, the reason the GPL "linking" issue is vague is that it depends on local
copyright law, which varies from country to country and in the US from state
to state. This is deliberate by the FSF because an agreement which depends
on local copyright law is stronger in court than one which sets its own
explicit terms. If anyone has nuts-and-bolts questions about GPL/LGPL
issues, I have some friends at the FSF and can get answers from "the horse's
mouth."

--
Josh Berkus
Aglio Database Solutions
San Francisco