This general public license applies to most of the free software foundations software and to any other program whose authors commit to using it. A practical guide to gpl compliance software freedom law. In some cases, this type of software is originally sold and released without the source code, and the source code becomes available later. This software is released under version 2 of the gnu general public license gplv2, as set forth below, with. If you do not know what free software is, you should learn.
The gpl allows you to aggregate the gplcovered mysql software alongside your proprietary software. If youre running mysql on a web server, you are free to do so for any purpose, commercial or not. Sometimes, the source code is released under a liberal software. If you are linking to the mysql connectors in your application then yes your application is considered to be work based on that program as per the gpl. The licenses were originally written by richard stallman, former head of the free software foundation fsf, for the gnu project, and grant the recipients of a computer program the rights of the free software. This is a list of proprietary sourceavailable software, which has available source code, but is not classified as free software or opensource software. The gpl and all open source software licenses only covers copying, distribution, and modification of the software. Can i use mysql community edition in a commercial application if i.
Why the gpl is incompatible with commercial software filed on feb 25, 2006 by anthony disante 31 replies advocates of the gnu general public license gnu gpl like to. Is mysql opensource features and popular open source. The deployment and usage of the mysql software programs under the open source or gpl license. You may copy, distribute and modify the software as long as you track changesdates of in source files and keep modifications under gpl. Is mysql allowed to use community generated gpl licensed. Is it legal to using mysql in commercial environment. Then opensource database company takes a step to mend a rift in the opensource world by updating a licensing provision. As a result, developers who use or distribute open source applications under the gpl can use the gpl licensed mysql software, and oems, isvs and vars that do not want to combine or distribute the mysql software with their own commercial software under a gpl license can purchase a commercial license. If you have an online connection while running the mysql installer, choose the mysql installerwebcommunity file if you do not have an online connection while running the mysql installer, choose the mysql installercommunity file note. Oracle makes its mysql database server and mysql client libraries available under both the gpl and a commercial license. I adjust the mysql engine and distribute it as open source. The gpl doesnt require you to gpllicense all the software in your company.
Mysql software programs are both available through the open source or general public license licensing model and through a commercial. As a result, developers who use or distribute open source applications under the gpl can use the gpllicensed mysql software, and oems, isvs and vars that do not want to combine or. My assumption is that the mysql installer detects any mysql community edition minor version larger then the minor version it can download itself as a non gpl version. The holder of the on any piece of code gets to decide how they allow it to be distributed. Lets say i want to build a java portlet or a java application which connects to the mysql community edition database engine through the official mysql jdbc connector, which is under gpl license. Mysql cluster is provided as a separate download so that users can have access to builds from the latest source releases of the mysql cluster carrier grade edition mysql. People frequently use the two phrases free software and open source software as synonyms, but there are very. For those users, mysql ab, the company widenius and axmark founded, offered a commercial. Your application is subject to the terms of the gpl if you distribute mysql or any other gpl software with it. Legal policies below you will find links to our various legal policies.
The mysql database is the first widely used database product released under the free software foundations general public license gpl. The software included in this product contains ed software that is licensed under the gpl. If you run a website that uses mysql, you wont need to release any of your code. Mysql itself is open source and can be used as a standalone product in a commercial environment. Any software can be connected to the gpl v2 licensed mysql connectorodbc, without the need for that software to be gpled. Mysql is free software, licensed under the gnu gpl. Mysql is free and opensource software under the terms of the gnu general public license, and is also available under a variety of proprietary licenses. Program pbboard is interactive forum management program dialogic free classified as free software and open source, is located under the gnu gpl, is written in php and based on mysql. Can i use gpl v2 mysql community edition in a commercial. This includes granting difference licenses to different users. The gpl allows you to redistribute your modifications of mysql. The community edition of mysql continues to be freely available and licensed under the gpl including the innodb storage engine. Mysql cluster is a realtime open source transactional database designed for fast, alwayson access to data under high throughput conditions. Mysql was owned and sponsored by the swedish company mysql.
The claim that open source software is as good as commercial one seems easy to understand. The community oss edition is available from this page under the gpl. I make commercial software and need a special version of mysql to make it work. Having been a free software user and supporter for many years, i am disheartened by some of the comments made in the mysql oracle debate regarding the gnu public. Mysql editions mysql is the worlds most popular open source database. This page is maintained by the free software foundations licensing and compliance lab. If the limitations of the gpl are not acceptable to you as a commercial developer, then you may sell your product program together with a commercial mysql license. The gpl doesnt require you to gpllicense any software that merely connects to mysql. I dont know what the fact that the gpl the license mysql is distributed under forbids linking against closed source software means for. By contrast, the gnu general public license is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free softwareto make sure the software is free for all its users. For developers of free open source software foss applications under the. You can get the source under the gpl version 2, or you can buy a commercial license.
Mysql software is released under an opensource license. The community oss edition is available under the free software opensource gnu general public license commonly known as the gpl. Oracle provides its mysql database server and mysql client libraries under a dual license model designed to meet the. Open source databases and commercial software ibexpert. This is because there is a piece of general management. Mysql founder tries a new software licensing model techcrunch. Licensing information user manual mysql connectornet 8. It is forbidden to develop a commercial product, such as a bookkeeping program, that is geared toward mysql as the database without making the code available in the open source sense. List of proprietary sourceavailable software wikipedia. This is seldom something that developers of commercial products wish to do. Oracle provides its mysql database server and mysql client libraries under a dual license model designed to meet the development and distribution needs of both commercial distributors such as oems, isvs and vars and open source projects.
Whether you are a fast growing web property, technology isv or large enterprise, mysql can costeffectively help you. Opensource software can also be commercialized from selling services, such as training, technical support, or consulting, rather than the software itself another possibility is offering opensource software in source code form only, while providing executable binaries to paying customers only, offering the commercial. Mysql founder michael monty widenius and his cofounder david axmark, however, came up with a. As a result, developers who use or distribute open source. Distributing a proprietary application with the mariadb mysql server. Why the gpl is incompatible with commercial software. A copy of that license is included in this document on page x.
It is available as both open source and commercial editions. The dos and donts of open source, or whats all the fuss about. The mysql installer has the following minor versions on offer in its product catalog in mysql. Besides their open source label, there is little difference in the available support infrastructure between products like jboss, php or mysql and their commercial. When are you required to have a commercial mysql license. For developers of free open source software foss applications under the gpl. Frequently asked questions about the gnu licenses gnu. And you dont have to ask anyones permission or pay anyone for the right to do this. The gpl allows you to modify the mysql source code in any way you want. By contrast, the gnu general public license is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free softwareto make sure the software is free. Mysql founder tries a new software licensing model. So if you have to buy a commercial license for things the gpl. This software is released under version 2 of the gnu general public license gplv2, as set forth.
In general, then, every program that is derived from gpl software. Whether you are a fast growing web property, technology isv or large enterprise, mysql can costeffectively help you deliver high performance, scalable database applications. You can distribute your application using a gpl library. If your company distributes an application that uses mysql database inside the company even inside the same building, and you dont 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.