Dick Davies wrote:

* Bruno Wolff III <bruno@wolff.to> [0132 18:32]:

On Thu, Jan 06, 2005 at 07:55:23 +0000,
  Randolf Richardson <rr@8x.ca> wrote:

    	    	MySQL:  Not free for commercial use

    	[If I'm mistaken about any of this, corrections are welcome.]

MsSQL is GPL code and hence is free for commercial use if you abide
by the restrictions of the GPL. If you want to not have to abide by
these restrictions then you have to make a deal with MySQL to get the
code under an alternate license.


Ok, but 'free with strings and hoops to jump through' is still not as
useful as 'do what you like with it'.

Lets' not start a 'my license > your license' thread.

MySQL is sorta free :
If your code is covered by GPL or falls under the "FOSS Exception" it's free.

Also :
"Free use for those who never copy, modify or distribute. As long as you never distribute
(internally or externally) the MySQL Software in any way, you are free to use it for powering
your application, irrespective of whether your application is under GPL license or not."
which means that you are allowed to link to it from your application without problems, whether your
application is under GPL or a commercial closed source one.

The problem is that under the current license, you are allowed to make your closed-source software
to work with MySQL, as long as you do not distribute MySQL with your application. This means that your
customers have to install MySQL themselves (do you trust them to do it right?), then install your application,
and there is no problem with the license.

Our company chose to go with Postgresql for exactly this reason. We think that our installation routine should
install all necessary parts, and that includes the SQL server part. The Postgresql license allows one to do that, the
MySQL one doesn't. That sealed it for us. (The fact that MySQL is lagging in features as compared to Postgresql
helped too).

Dirk Cleenwerck
Chief programmer
Useitgroup NV
http://www.useitgroup.com