Re: PostrgreSQL Commercial restrictions?

On Aug 7, 2013, at 8:23 AM, Eliseo Viola <eliseo(dot)viola(at)vodemia(dot)com> wrote:

> Hello.
> I have been reading the -http://opensource.org/licenses/postgresql- to know if i can use PostgreSQL in a Privative Closed Commercial Software (The worst of the worst :P ). in the company where i work.
> Is there any restriction or limit to do it.?

There isn't, really. It's very liberally licensed, and you're free to distribute it.

However, as someone who writes "private closed commercial software" that uses postgresql as a backend I'd fairly strongly suggest that you at least provide end users the opportunity to use their own installation of postgresql if they want to. "Hiding" the existence of postgresql in your package doesn't magically make it as low maintenance as sqlite, so users will still know it's there and might want to point your app at their supported, tuned installation instead. (And may want to fire up psql to see what's in there - you'll get happier customers if you put connection info and a database schema diagram in your docs than if you try to hide your use of a database).

I no longer distribute postgresql bundled with the app at all. On platforms with decent package managers I just ship a package that relies on the OS-installed postgresql. For other environments I provide a package for the app, and a separate package with postgresql.

If you do decide to distribute postgresql with your app (by bundling the enterprisedb installer as part of a windows app installer, say) be very careful that it's configured to not clash with a used-installed copy of postgresql.

Cheers,
Steve