Description:
Hello

Distributions may not ship MySQL build with "--with-yassl" as YaSSL is GPL'd but not covered by the FLOSS exception add-on licence (as you cannot redefine other authors copyright statements) and thus not compatible with e.g. PHP.

bye,

-christian-

P.S.: On a related note, matrixssl.org lists you as a reference software but at least in
        mysql-5.0.18 I cannot find their code? :)

How to repeat:
...

Suggested fix:
a) Convince your programmers to use a different SSL library (like e.g. the latest GnuTLS    
    which seems to be LGPL now, maybe?)
b) Convince YaSSL to relicence under e.g. the LGPL or add a FLOSS exception, too

Hello!
The yaSSL source in the distribution are all marked as licenced under the GPL which demands that all resulting products are also GPL. Your MySQL product is licenced as "GPL with modifications (FLOSS)" so it seems to me that you are currently violating the yaSSL licence, or?

Most probably yassl.com is quite happy to be distributed with MySQL but still you should make the copyright situation clear.

bye,

-christian-

The Community Edition builds of MySQL server are pure GPL.

The MySQL Client Library is GPL and has the FLOSS exception attached also. This document is somewhat unfortunately named, as it's actually an extension of the GPL license. As you know GPL does not allow clauses to restrict people's freedom further, however it does allow people's freedoms to be extended further. And this is exactly what the FLOSS exception does. This is perfectly GPL compatible, and so I see no incompatibility with yaSSL's own GPL licensing. Right?

There remains the issue you raised earlier, namely that if someone links to yaSSL indirectly by linking in the MySQL client library under the FLOSS exception (for instance in to Apache, or PHP), then there may still be a licensing incompatibility between yaSSL and that bigger app. Your suggestion was sensible, namely that yaSSL go either LGPL or include a similar FLOSS exception (I suggest they call it extension ;-) as the MySQL client libs.

> As you know GPL does not allow clauses to restrict people's freedom
> further, however it does allow people's freedoms to be extended further. 

But only the original author is in the position to grant those rights. MySQL is not the author of yassl
so MySQL may not extend the rights that the yassl authors have choosen for their yassl software.
You may only extend the code you have copyright on.

Example: I write a funky ChristianDB based on 20% mysql code and put the whole thing under a license that allowes people to write closed source with it. I'm sure you would not agree that I'm in
a position to grant the third party more rights on the mysql code than you granted me although I would of course be free to allow my own code to be used by whomever I like to.

So the yassl people have to announce that they allow you to put their software under GPL+FLOSS Exception (or put yassl under GPL+FLOSS themselves)!

bye,

-christian-

Following up with Todd Ouska of YASSL (contact details received from Brian Aker).

Received positive initial response from yaSSL about extending their license info, they're now discussing internally.

yaSSL team agreed to add FLOSS exception similar to MySQL to resolve licensing incompatibilities. Good stuff!
Now under review to make sure this covers the issues.

Review by external (Zak Greant) done, he agrees this should resolve the described   issue.

Now just awaiting new release from yaSSL incorporating the relevant notifications in their files.

It's now in the CVS of yaSSL, and the kind people there tell me there'll be a new yaSSL release within the new two weeks. I've asked our build team to include it from the next 5.x build after that.

A patch for this bug has been committed. After review, it may
be pushed to the relevant source trees for release in the next
version. You can access the patch from:

  http://lists.mysql.com/commits/9216

Pushed to 5.0.25

Noted in 5.0.25 changelog.

The bundled yaSSL library licensing has added a FLOSS exception
similar to MySQL to resolve licensing incompatibilities with MySQL.
(See the extra/yassl/FLOSS-EXCEPTIONS file in a MySQL source
distribution for details.)

Noted in 5.1.12 changelog as well.