On Feb 24, 2010, at 6:05 AM, Allen wrote:
> Im not too good and understanding the licences with these. I though MySQL
> was free as long as what you produced was free else you had to get the paid
> version. Is this the same with Firebird and PostgreSQL?
Be careful about what is meant by 'free'. The cost for all is zero, as
long as you are not releasing anything for others to use that has a more
restrictive license than the one that allowed you to use it in the first place.
IOW, as long as your product doesn't deny rights to your users that are allowed
in the software you're using, no problem. There is no cost involved.
However, if you want to release something that uses these database
programs that is proprietary, or somehow restricts the ability of those who use
it to copy, alter and distribute your code, then the products differ.
PostgreSQL and Firebird don't care. MySQL does. If you're using MySQL and want
to release a product that has restricted rights, you have to buy a commercial
license, and that figuring out how much that costs can be rather hairy.
So PostgreSQL and Firebird are both completely free, in both meanings
of 'free': cost and freedom. MySQL *might* be free in cost, and is not
completely free in what you do with it.
-- Ed Leafe
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