Comments on: Save MySQL by letting Oracle keep it GPL

By: MySQL un Oracle s?ga turpin?s « Datub?zes

MySQL un Oracle s?ga turpin?s « Datub?zes — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:04:31 +0000

[...] Tai paš? laik? Monty turpin?ja st?st?t, ka tas viss ir tikai tukši sol?jumi un aicin?ja sagl?bt interneta br?vest?bu, kur? faktiski atbild?ja uz biež?k uzdotajiem jaut?jumiem, k?p?c vi?am tik ?oti šis pas?kums nepat?k un, piem?ram, k?p?c tad pats MySQLam ??va nok??t SUN rok?s. K? jau tas gaid?ms rad?s ar? atbildes uz Monty pazi?ojumiem, kaut vai š?, kas maigi izsakoties visai skeptiski v?rt? vi?a so?us. [...]

By: Sheeri Cabral

Sheeri Cabral — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:26:27 +0000

Paul — it’s simple, Crystal Reports does not *provide* the client library, it just interfaces with it and uses it, if it’s available.

So to connect Crystal Reports to MySQL, you need to make sure your system has the appropriate connectors.

It’s a dynamic link, not a static link, so it doesn’t need to be GPL’d, because it doesn’t redestribute the client library.

By: 451 CAOS Theory » Everything you always wanted to know about MySQL but were afraid to ask - part three

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:04:28 +0000

[...] 29: Sheeri Cabral – Save MySQL by letting Oracle keep it GPL “I cannot say whether or not Oracle would kill MySQL. However, I have already stated I [...]

By: Paul McCullagh

Paul McCullagh — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 23:00:11 +0000

Hi Sheeri,

My question has nothing to do with the Oracle/MySQL debate as such, but concerns my understanding of the GPL.

You mention:

“Crystal Reports is an excellent example of a legal, closed-source commercial product that can run using MySQL as backend storage. Crystal Reports does not have to pay an embedded license, because they do not embed MySQL in their product.”

I am wondering how this is possible. In order to access MySQL, Crystal Reports, must link the MySQL client library.

The MySQL client library is GPL, and this makes any program that links it a “derived work” which, in turn, also has to be GPL’ed.

I am wondering how Crystal Reports gets around this problem…

By: Marc

Marc — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:29:38 +0000

Sheeri, you suggest that Monty’s position is that Oracle wants to kill MySQL. I think that’s a pretty black and white statement on your part. I think Monty is correct in his view that Oracle could be a threat to the overall future of MySQL by limiting it’s growth. Oracle could steer it, slow it, misguide it, and limit it all without killing it. The fact of the matter is that Oracle is a corporation that is driven by profit alone and they answer to their shareholders. Any time a giant commercial software company wants to absorb a widely used and competitive open source software application, red flags should go up and all should be concerned. Would you be worried if Microsoft wanted to own Apache, Linux or PHP? I would! Finally, Monty made a point already about why Oracle renewed their InnoDB contract. It would make sense from Oracle’s stand point to have a foot in the door and guide and slow down MySQL. If this prevented other directions from being taken, then it makes perfect sense.

Let’s all remember that profit driven corporations ultimately answer to one thing only, and that’s profit.

By: ghassan

ghassan — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 19:42:14 +0000

I got a simple question to Monty: will he agree to pay Oracle 500M$ to buy-out MySql? Sun paid 1B$ for it, (how much did he get from that?). I think Larry would be happy to sell for that amount, and write-down the remaining half billion is losses.
Just let him put his money where his mouth is.

rgds

By: dan

dan — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:28:47 +0000

how best to kill mysql?

oppose oracle mysql take over to death so that EC will object the merger. oracle will dis invest mysql to complete the merge and then kill innodb.

no innodb no mysql…

By: Lukas

Lukas — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:15:29 +0000

also .. its entirely possible for Monty to be selfless and still wrong.

By: Mark Callaghan

Mark Callaghan — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:42:17 +0000

Henrik,
Whether or not Sheeri has done this …

Why is it OK for MPAB to speculate on the intent of Oracle but not OK for Sheeri to speculate on the intent of Monty?

By: henrik

henrik — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:29:59 +0000

hi sheeri

You seem to know an awful lot of what monty *really* wants. Truth is, the best option for mysql is to continue to be independent of its main competitor, oracle, and there is no benefit for monty program in that scenario. It’s funny how selflessness can confuse so many people these days. If you want to blog about how nice you think oracle is, please continue, but please stop inventing these theories that you know what monty really thinks.