Re: [bug-mailutils] PostgreSQL support

[Jordi Mallach]

Hello,

On Mon, Apr 14, 2003 at 08:28:17PM +0200, Jordi Mallach wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> On my latest Debian package update, I've been bitten by a very nice
> problem regarding MySQL support.
> 
> As you know, MySQL authors declared the 4.x branch "stable" quite
> recently. It appears libmysqlclient in that distribution was relicensed
> from LGPL to GPL in version 4.0, deliberately. The problem is that
> it's common to find libmysqlclient with SSL support compiled in (using
> OpenSSL), which clashes with the GPL in MySQL due to the GPL
> incompatibility in OpenSSL's license.
> 
> In short, I'm not able to compile mailutils with MySQL support as that
> makes mailutils (GPL) link against libssl, non-GPL-compatible.
> 
> Debian is forking the old libmysqlclient 3.x packages so we'll have the
> problem solved soon, but this situation will make people violate MU's
> license without being aware very easily.
> 
> A solution (besides MySQL fixing this situation) is to add postgresql
> support. :)
> 
> Any additional thoughts on this?
> 
> Jordi
> -- 
> Jordi Mallach Pérez  --  Debian developer     http://www.debian.org/
> address@hidden     address@hidden     http://www.sindominio.net/
> GnuPG public key information available at http://oskuro.net/~jordi/


On Mon, Apr 14, 2003 at 11:48:51PM +0300, Sergey Poznyakoff wrote:
> > In short, I'm not able to compile mailutils with MySQL support as that
> > makes mailutils (GPL) link against libssl, non-GPL-compatible.
> 
> I don't see why it is not allowed. It is true that OpenSSL is
> distributed under a dual license that is not compatible with GPL.
> However both of its licenses are BSD-style Open Source licenses and
> therefore linking against the library should be allowed, just as it
> was allowed to link against libraries distributed under the original BSD
> license with the ``obnoxious BSD advertising clause''.
> 
> Anyway, my proposition is that we should forward this question to
> <address@hidden>.

Well, Debian has always considered the OpenSSL licence as non-GPL
compatible (and many packages have been rejected because of this until
they got a special additional clause which allowed linking against
OpenSSL). I think the offending clause is:

 * The licence and distribution terms for any publically available version or
 * derivative of this code cannot be changed. i.e. this code cannot simply be
 * copied and put under another distribution licence
 * [including the GNU Public Licence.]

Was it really allowed to link GPL apps against the original BSD licence?

Jordi
-- 
Jordi Mallach Pérez  --  Debian developer     http://www.debian.org/
address@hidden     address@hidden     http://www.sindominio.net/
GnuPG public key information available at http://oskuro.net/~jordi/

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