[CentOS] Re: Demonizing generic Linux issues as Fedora Core-only issues -- MySQL 3 v. 4 linking licensing issues

From: Johnny Hughes <mailing-lists at hughesjr.com>
> RHEL-4 shipped with MySQL 4.1.x (and has a 3.23.58 client to work with
> older databases) ... the latest SRPMS are mysql-4.1.10a-1.RHEL4.1.src.rpm
> and mysqlclient10-3.23.58-4.RHEL4.1.src.rpm.

You are indeed correct (I must have been looking at the RHEL3 dir**):  
ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat/linux/enterprise/4/en/os/i386/SRPMS/  

Hmmm, that's actually a _major_ variance from Fedora Core 3:  
http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/3/i386/os/Fedora/RPMS/  

[ **NOTE:  I have not supported MySQL since the RHL9/RHEL3 series, hence
why I didn't know it off-hand, just of the linking issues with version 4. ]

Which begs the questions:  
1)  How much testing did it get in the Fedora Development/Core series?
2)  How did they solve some of the linking issues I've heard about?

As I mentioned before, the current Fedora Core 4 Test has it too, so I
have to assume one of the following:  
A)  Red Hat negotiated a license to redistribute as built as before but
now for MySQL 4 (not likely since even FC4 has it now, unless the license
also applies there, but I doubt it based on how Red Hat makes sure any
FC/FE packages are always 100% redistributable by others)
B)  Red Hat shifted away from the few static links that it has previously
used (more likely?)
C)  The packages causing the linking licensing issues have change their
licensing?  (NuSphere possibly?)
D)  MySQL AB changed its stance on linking in MySQL 4 as of v4.1?

Anyone know the answer?  I have to go back and research why Red Hat
stuck with 3.23 and see how they are now redistributing 4.1x?

> CentOS-4 has the identical programs {as with all other items except
> LOGOS, trademarked text, and yum and where updates are done} in it's
> base :)

Which is why I love it.

I must have just looked at the wrong directory.  I'm also very disturbed
that Red Hat would not give the public time to test in the leading
community releases.  If I had to speculate, I'd say it's because it was
already testing in most other distros, but I'll have to read up in Bugzilla
on why the change was made (as well as what allowed Red Hat to
change it's stance on MySQL 4 in the first place).



--
Bryan J. Smith   mailto:b.j.smith at ieee.org