Re: [GENERAL] PostgreSQL Licence: GNU/GPL

Matthew Kirkwood <matthew@hairy.beasts.org>

From: Matthew Kirkwood <matthew@hairy.beasts.org>

To: Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us>

Cc: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>, Brent Verner <brent@rcfile.org>, <pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org>, <pgsql-general@postgresql.org>

Date: 2002-01-21T14:16:37Z

Lists: pgsql-hackers

On Mon, 21 Jan 2002, Bruce Momjian wrote:

> We carry a BSD license, the archetypal open-source license. While the
> GPL also promotes open-source,
  ^^^               ^^^^^^^^^^^

Spot the recipe for disaster :-)

"While the GPL expresses many of our goals,"

> it has certain anti-closed source (proprietary) restrictions.  Many
> PostgreSQL developers question the need for such restrictions.  We
> like our BSD license and see no need to change it.

I don't really like "Many PostgreSQL developers question
the need for such restrictions."  It may be that they do,
but that's not the point; the point is that you don't
want them, not that they are inherently inappropriate
(whether you believe that or not).

Matthew.