Ouch.
Thanks for the clarification. Two additional thoughts:
1) Does this apply (I think not) even if you don't compile with or
link with the MySQL database? If you just connect to it with ports
or sockets, as we usually do with web applications, you still don't
need a commercial license?
2) $595/year is still a lot cheaper than most of the alternatives
such as MS-SQL or Oracle.
I got into this debate with our Microsoft rep over lunch about a year
ago. My company does consulting with a couple of large (US
Fortune-500 companies) and unfortunately one of these is wedded to
MS. I work with MS-SQL quite a lot and generally find it inferior to
MySQL and as Randy (the MS rep) was talking how you really did need
to buy commercial licenses for MySQL, I pointed out that no you
really didn't for web applications. (He went on to point out what
great support MS SQL had - I quickly agreed and said that MS SQL had
the best support we could ever ask for... it's called "Google."
Randy still paid for the lunch :-)
Douglas Sims
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Jun 7, 2006, at 10:20 PM, mos wrote:
At 08:15 PM 6/7/2006, you wrote:
I believe that if you are only using MySQL for your company's
internal needs, whether from a web server or for deployment to other
company-owned locations, you don't need a commercial license. For
example, if your company owns fifiteen stores, you could set up a
MySQL-based point-of-sale system at each one without needing a
commercial license. You only need to release your source code if you
release your compiled code.
Also, I believe the GPL requirement for sharing only applies if you
have modified MySQL's object code, i.e. compiled your code into it or
it into your code or linked object code to it. If you are simply
installing it as a database and communicating to it through DBI or
ODBC or some other means which uses sockets or ports, you don't need
to release your code under the GPL.
Thus, you hardly ever need to purchase a commercial license.
Please note that this is just my understanding. I hope someone will
correct if I have misstated anything here.
Unfortunately that's not what MySQL AB licensing person told me.
The license is more strict than that. If your company distributes
an application that uses MySQL database inside the company (even
inside the same building), and you don't give the other dept the
source code (so it falls outside the gpl license) then the dept
receiving the application needs to have a MySQL license. In other
words, the complete application source code must follow the
application.
If you have a commercial application running in Windows, and expect
to sell a lot of applications, it will cost you $595 per database
server *per year*.
See https://shop.mysql.com/network.html?rz=s2. I didn't realize
myself it is now a per server/per year pricing either and it came
as quite a shock to me system. This can add up if you have a
thousand applications in circulation because each customer needs to
pay $595/year. If this is too pricey for you, there are open source
databases out there that are free to use and free to distribute.
FireBird and ProgreSQL come to mind. And there are other commercial
databases where you pay up front and have no distribution fees
whatsoever.
Mike
--
MySQL General Mailing List
For list archives: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql
To unsubscribe: http://lists.mysql.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
