Re: Debian readline/libedit breakage - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

Stephen Frost wrote:
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> * Bruce Momjian (bruce@momjian.us) wrote:
> > Well, we are going down a slippery slope if we think the click-through
> > installers are OK to use readline and distribute because we supply the
> > source for the installers --- that then requires anyone using the
> > binaries (or libraries) in those installers to also supply the source
> > code, e.g. GPL.
> 
> If they build binaries which include the GPL'd readline, then there's a
> (potential) issue, sure.  I'm not sure what system you're looking at,
> but readline isn't linked in by libpq today and I can't imagine it ever
> being linked to it.

It is true that readline is not linked to libpq, but that muddies the
waters.  Notice that Dave said the source to Postgres is distributed,
not that psql source is distributed, meaning he didn't make the
distinction between psql and the complete source, and most users aren't
going to understand that distinction.

> If they're using the binaries which the community provides, I really
> don't believe there's any issue.  It's possible someone would ask for
> the source code for that psql binary, but that shouldn't/wouldn't be
> hard for them to produce for the community psql.
> 
> If they're building their own binaries of psql which they've modified
> *and* have linked in with readline, then they've put themselves into a
> position where FSF or someone could complain.  I'd recommend they not do
> that, so as to avoid the issue.

True.  I just hate to have anything in a packaged distribution that has
any GPL requirement, even if it is a binary that no one can link to.
Call me paranoid, but I see it as marketing confusion for us.

> > :-(  I am not saying they have to, but falling back to
> > the "oh we give source code for the click-through installers" is not a
> > position we can fall back on without affecting our users.
> 
> I really don't follow the logic here.  Are you suggesting that people
> take psql and *embed* it into their own binaries?
> 
> If there's really that much concern over it, presumably the installers
> could be built w/o readline support.
> 
> That'd probably be more comfortable for me anyway, since then psql on
> Windows would behave like every other Windows app. ;) (j/k..)

psql used to use the native Windows line editing ability --- has that
changed?

--  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        http://momjian.us EnterpriseDB
http://enterprisedb.com
 + It's impossible for everything to be true. +