Zeoslib Portal

Can we have support added for MySQL V5? It has been around for quite some time now. Even if it doesn't support all the new features just yet a basic driver is important. The lack of Zeos support is actually stopping me upgrading our systems to v5 as I have a lot of code written with Zeos.

What is the licence of the client library of MySQL 5?

I thought it was GPL which makes it problematic to use with something like ZeosLib, which as I understand it is 'LGPL with exceptions'.

Regards,

Ben

Are you sure? GPL'ing libmysql would be a totally insane move of MySQL.

Like shooting yourself in the foot with a .357 or something.

/ Matt

There has been loads of discussion on this point and it's in the MySQL faq (see http://www.mysql.com/company/legal/licensing/faq.html). There is an exception for PHP but I think I'm right in what I said. I suppose MySql are trying to push people to pay for their commercial licence.

Ben

BTW PostgreSQL is BSD - No worries there.

Ben

Man, all this legalese is hard to read

Based on a cursory glance of the FAQ it seems that Zeos (LGPL) would fall under the FOSS Exception category? If so, that would allow Zeos to include and/or link to the libmysql libraries. Thus there would be no problem to develop a ZPlainMySql50 driver.

Does that mean I can make a simple FOSS interface to whatever GPL software I want and then use it within a commercial application? IANAL so I don't know, but it doesn't seem to be what MySQL are aiming for.

All these different licences make this kind of area a minefield.

Ben

I understood it that MySQL had, just for their client library (libmysql.dll), allowed certain types of licenses found "compliant" with their intent, to use the library without adhering to GPL standards = their FOSS Exception clause. LGPL, BSD and even the MIT license are apparently allowed.

I don't know if any other products have a similar extension to the GPL? But it sounded pretty specific to MySQL.

I wasn't very clear in what I said and maybe my logic was a bit off but to clarify my point, in the case of MySQL do you see the following as correct?

To use MySQL with a commercial application all you need to do is create an interface to the client library in one of the allowed licences and then access MySQL via that.

Especially in the case of zeoslib where the interface becomes part of the application, it seems a bit of a stretch for that to be within the licence terms for MySQL. I wouldn't like to be the person arguing the case.

Ben

In which case I think we'll have to ditch MySQL and go with MS SQL Express in future. Which seems a bit stupid but there you go.

I'd say better alternatives are Postgresql or Firebird as they don't have limitations or licencing problems.

Regards,

Ben

...or maybe Oracle Express

Did anybody ask Mysql AB themselves? Maybe they'll even put a link on their site pointing towards Zeoslib. As far as I know Mysql is not that bad and still supporting the Open Source community.
Can somebody take care of that in the DEV team?

Mark

Maybe the topic has gone too far.. So what's about the driver? Any plans?

Hi all,

(at least basic) Mysql5 support is already present in the SVN repository.
The address of the repository is [url]svn://firmos.at/zeos/trunk[/url].

For those who are willing to use more experimental versions next to the trunk there's a 'testing branch' at [url]svn://firmos.at/zeos/branches/testing[/url]. The last one contains the most recently added patches.

We know there's a problem installing in lazarus for the trunk version, right now.Lazarus users beter use testing branch until the trunk is corrected.

I don't know yet when we will make the 6.5.2 release, but I think it will be pretty soon.

Mark