Opinions, Expertise, Passion.

In the recent interview Missed Twitter Questions from Jonathan Schwartz Interview at Web 2.0 Expo Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz is quoted as saying “Everything Sun delivers will be freely available, via a free and open license (either GPL, LGPL or Mozilla/CDDL), to the community.”

Presently not everything is under one of these licenses. Java getting fully Open Source highlights that Java is getting there, but still contains closed source components. Open Solaris, NetBeans, Glassfish, Virtual Box and Open Office are. Even the mainline Solaris 10 is. Star Office is one that is not.

MySQL is also not there and presently has at least three different licenses. You have GPL for the MySQL Community Server. You have a subscription model for MySQL Enterprise which includes additional bug fixes not available in the Community Server. The subscription model also includes the MySQL Enterprise Monitor, software that will fail to operate if your subscription lapses. Additional upcoming MySQL Proxy features will also be subscription or have been termed “closed source” only. You also have the different model used by MySQL Workbench for licenses.

I know many that work on these products at MySQL do not agree with the various license policies. Indeed recent comments from Rich Green of Sun have also indicated we are not going to change anything at MySQL.

I was initially interested if Sun would move MySQL to the CDDL, however this question was recently raised and Marten Mickos stated there were no plans to move away from the GPL v2.

I can only hope that as Sun continues to promote itself as the largest open source company, these differences subside and disappear, and don’t continue to evolve and change.