Zeos license

[vvv]

Hi all.

I want to ask for using ZEOSDBO 6.6.6 for commercial projects?
I read some posts on this forum but I do not understand the LGPL license. As I understand there is some linking exception in LGPL license. I want statically to link zeos with my project. I want to ask whether is proper to provide only executable file or should provide some additional files to the end user.

Regards.

[trupka]

Hi,
in short: Yes
Longer: see license agreement in source, important part is:

Code: Select all

{ As a special exception, the copyright holders of this   }
{ library give you permission to link this library with   }
{ independent modules to produce an executable,           }
{ regardless of the license terms of these independent    }
{ modules, and to copy and distribute the resulting       }
{ executable under terms of your choice, provided that    }
{ you also meet, for each linked independent module,      }
{ the terms and conditions of the license of that module. }
{ An independent module is a module which is not derived  }
{ from or based on this library. If you modify this       }
{ library, you may extend this exception to your version  }
{ of the library, but you are not obligated to do so.     }
{ If you do not wish to do so, delete this exception      }
{ statement from your version.                  

Even zeos developers use it in commercial project, you can read confession here: http://zeos.firmos.at/viewtopic.php?t=1 ... ce+license

[vvv]

Hi, thank you for your answer.
I already read the exception but i still do not understand.

If i link statically the zeos library in my exe project, should i redistribute to the customer the .dcu files from my exe project and the .dcu files from the zeos library ?

Thanks

[trupka]

You don't need to redistribute DCU-s, but you need to meet lincence terms of database client libs -e.g. mysql dll's are "tricky" here but that's another story...

Zeos is licensed under LGPL 2.1 which states:

A program that contains no derivative of any portion of the Library, but is designed to work with the Library by being compiled or linked with it, is called a "work that uses the Library". Such a work, in isolation, is not a derivative work of the Library, and therefore falls outside the scope of this License.

IMO, that means that you can staticaly link your commercial exe with zeoslib and you don't need to distribute source / dcus.
But it would be nice to mention zeoslib somwhere...

[mdaems]

I agree on trupka's comment. Just use zeoslib whereever you want, but be carefull with distributing database client libs.

Mark