MySQL 4.0.21 and new licensing...

[Mark Musone]

Are you sure you understand what this is saying?????????


Mysql is licensed under GPL.

Mysql is saying that there are some specific non-gpl software that mysql
is allowing to be used for..this is a GOOD thing. This is about allowing
this GPL software to be used on other opensource yet non-gpl software.

If this was not the case, than PHP, apache, etc al.. would NOT be able
to use mysql. Note this is not about allowing people to make
non-opensource software. There are SPECIFIC exceptions that allow
SPECIFIC non-gpl opensource projects to use mysql.

-Mark






-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nflug at nflug.org [mailto:owner-nflug at nflug.org] On Behalf Of
John Seth
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2004 7:32 AM
To: nflug at nflug.org
Subject: MySQL 4.0.21 and new licensing...

Rather than include the whole email about MySQL's next release of their
MySQL 4.0.x database, which is viewable on their website, I thought I'd
note the part that caught my eye.

With the release of 4.0.21, MySQL is now using a "FLOSS Licensing
Exception" for certain open source cases.  Some of which have caused me
great ire in regards to personal opinions, specifically two things:

-- PHP 5.0 using another SQL db besides MySQL for it's default/preferred
db "out of the box" (you have to include the mysqli extension, not hard
at
all, I just like php4 too much, heh).

-- RedHat/Fedora's default inclusion of MySQL 3.x series instead of 4.x.

3.x is very much dated... I use 4.0 for stable and 4.1 for testing and
playing... the fact that Fedora & RedHat stuck with the 3.x series has
made me convert many servers in my workplace to Slackware GNU/Linux.

The link to MySQL's "FLOSS Licensing Exception" is noted below...

  - Tony


---------------------------- Original Message
----------------------------
Subject: MySQL 4.0.21 has been released
From:    "Matt Wagner" <matt at mysql.com>
Date:    Fri, September 10, 2004 12:48 am
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--

Hi,

MySQL 4.0.21, a new version of the popular Open Source/Free Software
Database Management System, has been released. It is now available in
source and binary form for a number of platforms from our download pages
at http://www.mysql.com/downloads/ and mirror sites.

<-- snip -->

This is a bug fix release for the current production version.

Please also note that this is the first 4.0.x version to have our FLOSS
licensing exception. This exception allows license compatibility with
important Open Source/Free Software projects. More information about our
FLOSS licensing exception can be found at:

  http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/MySQL_FLOSS_License_Exception.html

Please refer to our bug database at http://bugs.mysql.com/ for more
details about the individual bugs fixed in this version.

<-- snip -->