Okay. As my username indicates, I am pretty inexperienced with Linux. I've got both of my computers setup as dual-boots (XP & SuSE). I am paid to be an independent custom solutions developer for a living.

Much of what I do involves M$ products (I am *NOT* happy about that) and need some advice. I have a fair number of questions and hope I am posting this in the correct forum.

1) Web Development - Is it legal for me to use open source software and OS to create dynamic websites for clients and collect pay for it?

2) Microsoft Access - I use it for small, low-budget projects. Is it possible for me to create an Access UI and database in linux to be deployed on small business' winblowz machines. Should I consider using a more 'hosted' database system.. like MySQL on a separate linux box or something?

3) MySQL - Can businesses use it for commercial purposes? or does that require some kind of special licensing?

4) Java - If I make a business app with Java.... can I sell it??

Yeah, common theme: I don't understand the commercial and copyright implications of using open source software. Please, help me to understand.

Welcome to LQ.

1) Make sure you double check each licecnce as there is more than one - for the GPL:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html

2) I would reccomend using MySQL for holding the data. This will let almost any database front end such as MS Access manipulate and query the data via an ODBC connection while maintaining a multiuser networked database environment.

3) MySQL AB opperate a dual licencing structure depending on your needs:
http://www.mysql.com/company/legal/licensing/

4) If you write it then there is no reason not to sell it. Note that there is no open source implementation of Java yet though.

For the last bit I'd read the Gnu site:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/

Thanks!

Quote:

2) I would reccomend using MySQL for holding the data. This will let almost any database front end such as MS Access manipulate and query the data via an ODBC connection while maintaining a multiuser networked database environment.

Double Thanks!

Quote:

3) MySQL AB opperate a dual licencing structure depending on your needs: http://www.mysql.com/company/legal/licensing/

Triple Thanks!

Quote:

4) If you write it then there is no reason not to sell it. Note that there is no open source implementation of Java yet though.

Quadruple Thanks! Now, I thought that Java was open source. It isn't? What about Netbeans (what I have been playing with) -- is that open? I am trying to figure out how I might have gotten the impression that Java was open.

Quote:

For the last bit I'd read the Gnu site: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/

Thanks for the warm welcome. Your info & links are certainly going to prove very helpful to this newb2nix. Also, your immediate response made my jaw drop! I've *never* gotten a response sooner than 2-3 days on programming forums! (perhaps I'm using the wrong forums ) Thank you so much!

I would like to add a question-

Licensing I've read and several forum postings have led me to believe Comerical software and linux do not mix. Is this true? I write software independantly for a living - but, I also really like linux and am considering using it for business. Can I not use linux and other free software to develop commercial software?

I want to support and use linux for business, but I also need my work to be paid for. I have a family to feed and a mortgage to pay for. I have aspirations to own my own little software company and take vacations. Will my aspirations keep me locked into using Windows and other commercial software to create my own [commercial software]? Do my aspirations conflict with the licensing of using free software to create comercial software or with the linux community? Or, am I not getting it?

There's no conflict. In most cases. You just need to read licences of the software you use. Main licencies are:
GPL - you can use GPLed software to create commercial, but not use part of it in your programs (read: if a library is GPLed, you can't use it in commercial software)
LGPL - you can use it and link to commercial software. If you don't modify the LGPLed software.
BSD - you can link it to commercial software. And modify.

There's also credits issue ("this program uses code from ....."). It also depends on the licence. It's a good idea to add such a note when you're not sure - it doesn't hurt.

Examples follow.

You can use any GPL programming environment to write commercial software. Eg. Kdevelop. No problems here.

When you're linking your program with a library, you need to be careful. LGPL or BSD is OK. GPL is not. Big warning here: MySQL access libraries (at least the C one) is GPL, not LGPL! It hurts. If you want to sell such software, buy a commercial MySQL licence or use another database like Postgres (BSD).

Most libraries don't cause problems, because they use LGPL. You can write Gtk commercial apps and sell them and so on.

Thank you so much for your advice! That makes a lot more sense to me. I was directed to read the links you see earlier in this thread, however they didn't appear to touch on my particular concerns. Or perhaps, I was just looking in all the wrong places.

Would you happen to know any good sites where I can learn even more about linux and business?

Again, thanks much! I am very pleased to hear what you have shared with me.

Although, I should say I found what I was looking for on the MySQL site. Thanks to david_ross!