RE: [stellation-res] Stellation support for MySQL on Linux

["Jonathan Gossage" <jgossage@xxxxxxxx>]

> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: stellation-res-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >[mailto:stellation-res-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Mark C.
> >Chu-Carroll
> >Sent: November 1, 2002 6:15 PM
> >To: stellation-res@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: RE: [stellation-res] Stellation support for MySQL on Linux
> >
> >
> >On Fri, 2002-11-01 at 17:49, Jonathan Gossage wrote:
> >> > >-----Original Message-----
> >> > >From: stellation-res-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> > >[mailto:stellation-res-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of
> >Dave Shields
> >> > >Sent: November 1, 2002 2:51 PM
> >> > >To: stellation-res@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> > >Subject: Re: [stellation-res] Stellation support for MySQL on Linux
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >On Fri, Nov 01, 2002 at 01:25:12PM -0500, Jonathan Gossage wrote:
> >> > >> Actually I am planning to install Linux from the current
> >> > >Debian distribution
> >> > >> but I will let you know how things go and will provide some
> >> > >installation
> >> > >> notes.
> >> > >
> >> > >By the way, be sure to use MySQL Connector/J 2.0.14 (the stable
> >> > >version),
> >> > >as it is licensed under LGPL.  I just noticed that Connector/J
> >> > >3.0.1.Beta
> >> > >(the development version) is licensed under GPL, so we can't use
> >> > >it with code
> >> > >licensed under the CPL. If J 2 doesn't have the desired
> >functionality
> >> > >then we won't be able to support the use of MySQL with Stellation.
> >> > >
> >> > >dave
> >> > >
> >>
> >> We can't ship a GPL licensed driver as part of Stellation byt
> >nothing stops
> >> a user from using such a driver if the user obtains the driver
> >> independently. We simply have to point potential users in the right
> >> direction.
> >
> >No. It's worse than that. If we write *anything* which specifically uses
> >something licensed under the GPL, then
> >we fall under the GPL. So any code that we write that
> >specifically works with the GPLed MySQL JDBC driver is
> >automatically GPL, and anything which calls that, and so
> >on.
> >
> >LGPL allows certain kinds of linking without automatically
> >becoming GPL. Our lawyers have agreed that it's OK for
> >us to use LGPLed JDBC components. Full GPL is another matter. If the
> >MySQL database component is written to use the GPL JDBC driver, then
> >it's got to be GPL. And then the generic AbstractDatabase class needs to
> >be GPL, because it connects to the MySQL database component. And then
> >the whole core needs to be GPL, because it uses the AbstractDatabase
> >class.
> >
> >That's the way GPL works. So if the JDBC MySQL driver becomes
> >GPL, then we're stuck: we can't support it.  (I can check with our
> >lawyers to see what the dual-license nature of
> >MySQL means... but I strongly suspect that the answer will
> >be "no".)
> >
> >	-Mark
> >
> >>
> >> Regards
> >>
> >> Jonathan
> >>
> >> Personal Email
> >> jgossage@xxxxxxxx
> >>
> >> Business Email
> >> jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >>
I don't see how that can be enforced. If a user downloads Stellation,
decides that MySQL is a good database choice and downloads the GPL driver
instead of the LPGL driver who is at fault. There is no programmatic way of
determining, 5 years from now if a given driver is appropriately licensed.
It would seem to me that if your lawyers are right than we must take
explicit steps to prevent Stellation from working with any industry standard
interfacce such as JDBC that might bring a GPL licensed component together
with a CPL licensed component. Under that scenario would not Postgres also
be disqualified?

Regards

Jonathan

Personal Email
jgossage@xxxxxxxx

Business Email
jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx