Everything

php

MySQL problems

php.internals

Georg Richter

23 years ago

Hi,

since PHP5 beta is out I got tons of emails which a) complained about missing
libmysql for ext/mysqli b) about licensing problems and possible solutions.

I'm not able to answer all these mails, currently I work 500km away from home
and I'm not able to check all these mails. So would it be ok to forward it to
this list? Or to the people which removed bundled libmysql ?

Regards

Georg

Sterling Hughes

23 years ago

Just don't reply.

-Sterling

On Wed, 2003-07-16 at 19:59, Georg Richter wrote:

> Hi,
>
> since PHP5 beta is out I got tons of emails which a) complained about missing
> libmysql for ext/mysqli b) about licensing problems and possible solutions.
>
> I'm not able to answer all these mails, currently I work 500km away from home
> and I'm not able to check all these mails. So would it be ok to forward it to
> this list? Or to the people which removed bundled libmysql ?
>
> Regards
>
> Georg

--
If a 6600 used paper tape instead of core memory, it would use up tape
at about 30 miles/second.
- Grishman, Assembly Language Programming

Olivier Hill

23 years ago

Sterling Hughes wrote:

> Just don't reply.
>
> -Sterling

Kind of rude... We should a *least* have an auto-reply directing to a
"closed bug" report telling users to use the system libmysql. I had
*absolutely* no problems compiling with mysql, but that's because I did
know that it wasn't bundled anymore.

We *have* to ungrade PHP docs to reflect all those kind of changes in
the new release... And we *have* to generate the docs more often. I
*always* find obsoletes informations on the PHP website, and when I look
on CVS, it's already fixed... But still, doesn't show on the "official"
docs on the website.

Just my 2¢
Oliver

--
GB/E/IT d+ s+:+ a-- C++$ UL++++$ P++++ L+++$ E- W++$ N- ?o ?K w--(---)
!O M+$ V- PS+ PE- Y PGP t++ 5-- X+@ R- tv++ b++(+++) DI++++ D+ G++ e+>++
h(*) r y+(?)

(Marcus Börger)

23 years ago

Hello Olivier,

Thursday, July 17, 2003, 4:23:53 AM, you wrote:

OH> Sterling Hughes wrote:

>> Just don't reply.
>>
>> -Sterling

OH> Kind of rude... We should a *least* have an auto-reply directing to a
OH> "closed bug" report telling users to use the system libmysql. I had
OH> *absolutely* no problems compiling with mysql, but that's because I did
OH> know that it wasn't bundled anymore.

Not rude. The people complaining are often rude as georg could tell you. If
you want to help and not only speak, then you could do at least two things:
a) provide a patch that explains the matter in short during configuration if
the lib is missing and
b) set up an informative page which explains the matter in full. So that we
can direct such users to that page.

OH> We *have* to ungrade PHP docs to reflect all those kind of changes in
OH> the new release... And we *have* to generate the docs more often. I
OH> *always* find obsoletes informations on the PHP website, and when I look
OH> on CVS, it's already fixed... But still, doesn't show on the "official"
OH> docs on the website.

We all know, and some of us are working hard on a solution which is in reach
already. So stay tuned.

Best regards,
Marcus                            mailto:helly@php.net

Olivier Hill

23 years ago

Marcus Börger wrote:

> Hello Olivier,
>
> Not rude. The people complaining are often rude as georg could tell you. If
> you want to help and not only speak, then you could do at least two things:
> a) provide a patch that explains the matter in short during configuration if
>    the lib is missing and
> b) set up an informative page which explains the matter in full. So that we
>    can direct such users to that page.

I don't know how to do a), but I'll find out this evening...

As I can see for b), it's already done in the PHP FAQ about Databases.

Oliver

Olivier Hill

23 years ago

Marcus Börger wrote:

> a) provide a patch that explains the matter in short during configuration if
>    the lib is missing and

Attached is a file to add the warning in configure.in

The warning is always on when building with MySQL support. I think we
should leave it that way during BETA and the first version 5 release,
just to let users know. After a while, we could only display it when the
librairies are really missing.

Anyway, that's the way I saw the problem. The link inside the warning
will be filled with a FAQ entry as soon as the docs are built, I saw
something about it on CVS.

thanks,
Oliver

--
GB/E/IT d+ s+:+ a-- C++$ UL++++$ P++++ L+++$ E- W++$ N- ?o ?K w--(---)
!O M+$ V- PS+ PE- Y PGP t++ 5-- X+@ R- tv++ b++(+++) DI++++ D+ G++ e+>++
h(*) r y+(?)

Jani Taskinen

23 years ago

There's absolutely NO reason to add any notes in configure.in
about mysql. If you use --with-mysql and the libs are not found
in your system, it'll error out..

--Jani


On Thu, 17 Jul 2003, Olivier Hill wrote:

Olivier Hill

23 years ago

Jani Taskinen wrote:

>     There's absolutely NO reason to add any notes in configure.in
>     about mysql. If you use --with-mysql and the libs are not found
>     in your system, it'll error out..
>
>     --Jani

But then, the user is asking: Why does it error out?

The purpose was to inform the user where he can find help.

Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe I'm just being stupid,
Oliver

--
GB/E/IT d+ s+:+ a-- C++$ UL++++$ P++++ L+++$ E- W++$ N- ?o ?K w--(---)
!O M+$ V- PS+ PE- Y PGP t++ 5-- X+@ R- tv++ b++(+++) DI++++ D+ G++ e+>++
h(*) r y+(?)

Jani Taskinen

23 years ago

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003, Olivier Hill wrote:

>Jani Taskinen wrote:
>>     There's absolutely NO reason to add any notes in configure.in
>>     about mysql. If you use --with-mysql and the libs are not found
>>     in your system, it'll error out..
>>
>
>But then, the user is asking: Why does it error out?

It tells exactly why it's erroring. See ext/mysql/config.m4
for more information.

Of course that error checking stuff should be improved,
I'm just not interested since this really isn't any problem
for *nix users.

>The purpose was to inform the user where he can find help.

This is not the problem you should be solving, move along.

--Jani

Olivier Hill

23 years ago

Jani Taskinen wrote:

>>The purpose was to inform the user where he can find help.
>
>     This is not the problem you should be solving, move along.

I just did what Marcus suggested: inform the user about the new
"policies" regarding MySQL/PHP integration. If the user is aware of the
problem, he won't ask George why it's not working anymore (with the
bundled librairies), fixing the "one-on-one" user/developper questions.

Anyways, I'll just shup up and sit back, reading my email, since I feel
I'm disturbing some developpers on this list.. Sorry if I did/ask/wanted
to contribute too much.

Oliver

--
GB/E/IT d+ s+:+ a-- C++$ UL++++$ P++++ L+++$ E- W++$ N- ?o ?K w--(---)
!O M+$ V- PS+ PE- Y PGP t++ 5-- X+@ R- tv++ b++(+++) DI++++ D+ G++ e+>++
h(*) r y+(?)

George Schlossnagle

23 years ago

Here's the deal (and Im taking this off list to be candid).

Lots of the developers receive alot of mail.  It's not just an erran
tuser here or there, sometimes there are hundreds a day.  If you take
even a minute to answer each mail (forward them to an rtfm or something
nicer), you can waste hours per day.  Sometimes peope have time to do
this, sometimes they don't.  If people write to the mailing list, they
will get an answer from someone who has time to answer it.

So the question is, how do you drive people to the lists.  You could
mail them back and say 'ask on the list'.  Unfortunately this consumes
time for each one you send.  There are many many php users, and many of
them (as this internals list has demonstrated in the past) dont get the
clue when you tell them to direct their questions elsewhere.  So the
best solution is often just to ignore them.  If they really want an
answer, they will keep looking until they find the correct resource (a
mailing list).

Note that this is the same way commercial software companies work.  If
I write Joe, the Oracle tech I investigated a bug with earlier, he
_will not_ right me back.  He has a job, and there is a bug management
and support system that will assign me to a resource that they think is
optimal.  It's not my perogative to choose my support tech.  This may
seem inhuman, but it's critical to efficient and productive time
management.

The bottom line is that everyone working on PHP is a volunteer.  You
(royal you, not you in particular), do not need to be grateful for
volunteers time, but you cant make personal demands on it.

George



On Thursday, July 17, 2003, at 10:28  PM, Olivier Hill wrote:

> Jani Taskinen wrote:
>>> The purpose was to inform the user where he can find help.
>>     This is not the problem you should be solving, move along.
>
> I just did what Marcus suggested: inform the user about the new
> "policies" regarding MySQL/PHP integration. If the user is aware of
> the problem, he won't ask George why it's not working anymore (with
> the bundled librairies), fixing the "one-on-one" user/developper
> questions.
>
> Anyways, I'll just shup up and sit back, reading my email, since I
> feel I'm disturbing some developpers on this list.. Sorry if I
> did/ask/wanted to contribute too much.
>
> Oliver
> --
> GB/E/IT d+ s+:+ a-- C++$ UL++++$ P++++ L+++$ E- W++$ N- ?o ?K w--(---)
> !O M+$ V- PS+ PE- Y PGP t++ 5-- X+@ R- tv++ b++(+++) DI++++ D+ G++
> e+>++ h(*) r y+(?)
>
>
> --
> PHP Internals - PHP Runtime Development Mailing List
> To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
>
>

-- George Schlossnagle
-- Principal Consultant
-- OmniTI Computer Consulting, Inc.
-- +1.410.872.4910 x202
-- 1024D/1100A5A0 1370 F70A 9365 96C9 2F5E  56C2 B2B9 262F 1100 A5A0

Derick Rethans

23 years ago

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003, Olivier Hill wrote:

> Jani Taskinen wrote:
> >     There's absolutely NO reason to add any notes in configure.in
> >     about mysql. If you use --with-mysql and the libs are not found
> >     in your system, it'll error out..
> >
> >     --Jani
>
> But then, the user is asking: Why does it error out?

THey can find the clue in the NEWS file which they've read anyway.

Derick

--
"Interpreting what the GPL actually means is a job best left to those
that read the future by examining animal entrails."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derick Rethans                                 http://derickrethans.nl/
International PHP Magazine                          http://php-mag.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

George Schlossnagle

23 years ago

How about only emitting a warning if the local library is not found.

On Thursday, July 17, 2003, at 09:09  PM, Olivier Hill wrote:

> Marcus Börger wrote:
>> a) provide a patch that explains the matter in short during
>> configuration if
>>    the lib is missing and
>
> Attached is a file to add the warning in configure.in
>
> The warning is always on when building with MySQL support. I think we
> should leave it that way during BETA and the first version 5 release,
> just to let users know. After a while, we could only display it when
> the librairies are really missing.
>
> Anyway, that's the way I saw the problem. The link inside the warning
> will be filled with a FAQ entry as soon as the docs are built, I saw
> something about it on CVS.
>
> thanks,
> Oliver
> --
> GB/E/IT d+ s+:+ a-- C++$ UL++++$ P++++ L+++$ E- W++$ N- ?o ?K w--(---)
> !O M+$ V- PS+ PE- Y PGP t++ 5-- X+@ R- tv++ b++(+++) DI++++ D+ G++
> e+>++ h(*) r y+(?)
> --- configure.in.old	2003-07-17 21:00:33.000000000 -0400
> +++ configure.in	2003-07-17 20:58:08.000000000 -0400
> @@ -1306,6 +1306,20 @@
>  X
>    fi
>
> +  # Warn about linking with MySQL support with system librairies
> +  if test "$PHP_MYSQL" != "no"; then
> +cat <<X
> ++--------------------------------------------------------------------+
> +|                        *** WARNING ***                             |
> +|                                                                    |
> +| Due to licensing constraints, MySQL librairies are not bundled     |
> +| with the PHP source anymore. If you need to compile PHP with MySQL |
> +| support, you need to have the correct librairies on your system.   |
> +| Please visit http://www.php.net/manual/faq.databases.php for more  |
> +| details.                                                           |
> +X
> +  fi
> +
>    # Warn about linking Apache with libpthread if oci8 extension is
> enabled on linux.
>    if test "$PHP_OCI8" != "no" -o "$PHP_ORACLE" != "no"; then
>      if test "$PHP_SAPI" = "apache"; then
>
> --
> PHP Internals - PHP Runtime Development Mailing List
> To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php

-- George Schlossnagle
-- Principal Consultant
-- OmniTI Computer Consulting, Inc.
-- +1.410.872.4910 x202
-- 1024D/1100A5A0 1370 F70A 9365 96C9 2F5E  56C2 B2B9 262F 1100 A5A0

(Marcus Börger)

23 years ago

Hello Olivier,

Friday, July 18, 2003, 3:09:07 AM, you wrote:

OH> Marcus Börger wrote:

>> a) provide a patch that explains the matter in short during configuration if
>>    the lib is missing and

OH> Attached is a file to add the warning in configure.in

Nice first shot. But it also displays the message if you did disable mysql.
What we really need is a message that pops up only if the user tried to use a
bundled lib which is no longer available. So there must be a corresponding
change in the ext/mysql/config.m4 file.

--
Best regards,
Marcus                            mailto:helly@php.net

Jani Taskinen

23 years ago

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003, Marcus Bö rger wrote:

>Hello Olivier,
>
>Friday, July 18, 2003, 3:09:07 AM, you wrote:
>
>OH> Marcus Börger wrote:
>>> a) provide a patch that explains the matter in short during configuration if
>>>    the lib is missing and
>
>OH> Attached is a file to add the warning in configure.in
>
>Nice first shot. But it also displays the message if you did disable mysql.
>What we really need is a message that pops up only if the user tried to use a
>bundled lib which is no longer available. So there must be a corresponding
>change in the ext/mysql/config.m4 file.

How can you know if they wanted to use bundled lib or not? :)

--Jani

Melvyn Sopacua

23 years ago

At 11:25 7/18/2003, Jani Taskinen wrote:

> >Nice first shot. But it also displays the message if you did disable mysql.
> >What we really need is a message that pops up only if the user tried to
> use a
> >bundled lib which is no longer available. So there must be a corresponding
> >change in the ext/mysql/config.m4 file.
>
>     How can you know if they wanted to use bundled lib or not? :)

Index: configure.in
===================================================================
RCS file: /repository/php-src/configure.in,v
retrieving revision 1.458
diff -u -r1.458 configure.in
--- configure.in        2 Jul 2003 01:08:26 -0000       1.458
+++ configure.in        18 Jul 2003 10:15:25 -0000
@@ -1294,6 +1294,19 @@
| information about your setup.                                      |
X
fi
+  if test "$PHP_MYSQL" = "no"; then
+cat <<X
++--------------------------------------------------------------------+
+|                        *** WARNING ***                             |
+|                                                                    |
+| You chose to compile PHP without MySQL extension. Because recent   |
+| studies have shown, that you might not read FAQ's and blatently    |
+| mail developers we pleasently inform you, that there is no bundled |
+| MySQL extension anymore, so you will have to compile it yourself.  |
+| Mails to developers about this issue, are charged at 1 euro per    |
+| line, incoming and 10 euros per line for replies.                  |
+X
+  fi

if test "$PHP_DB" != "no"; then
cat <<X


Best regards,

Melvyn Sopacua

-----------------------------------------------------
\ Email Quoting, the forgotten art:                 /
/ http://www.kassj.com/netiquette/netiquette.html#5 \
-----------------------------------------------------

Derick Rethans

23 years ago

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003, Melvyn Sopacua wrote:

> +| Mails to developers about this issue, are charged at 1 euro per    |
> +| line, incoming and 10 euros per line for replies.                  |

Cheap basterd ;)

Derick

--
"Interpreting what the GPL actually means is a job best left to those
that read the future by examining animal entrails."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derick Rethans                                 http://derickrethans.nl/
International PHP Magazine                          http://php-mag.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jani Taskinen

23 years ago

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003, Melvyn Sopacua wrote:

>At 11:25 7/18/2003, Jani Taskinen wrote:
>
>> >Nice first shot. But it also displays the message if you did disable mysql.
>> >What we really need is a message that pops up only if the user tried to
>> use a
>> >bundled lib which is no longer available. So there must be a corresponding
>> >change in the ext/mysql/config.m4 file.
>>
>>     How can you know if they wanted to use bundled lib or not? :)

But this won't work as the configure bails out if no mysql headers/libs
are found..(when you use plain --with-mysql default paths are searched)

--Jani

Melvyn Sopacua

23 years ago

At 12:32 7/18/2003, Jani Taskinen wrote:

>On Fri, 18 Jul 2003, Melvyn Sopacua wrote:
>
> >At 11:25 7/18/2003, Jani Taskinen wrote:
> >
> >> >Nice first shot. But it also displays the message if you did disable
> mysql.
> >> >What we really need is a message that pops up only if the user tried to
> >> use a
> >> >bundled lib which is no longer available. So there must be a
> corresponding
> >> >change in the ext/mysql/config.m4 file.
> >>
> >>     How can you know if they wanted to use bundled lib or not? :)
>
>
>     But this won't work as the configure bails out if no mysql headers/libs
>     are found..(when you use plain --with-mysql default paths are searched)

The 'old' behavior, was to enable mysql by default, because of the bundled libs
and then issue a warning about using them.

The 'new' behavior disables mysql by default and bails out on any config
errors,
which means you are left with the enabled by default stuff.

Best regards,

Melvyn Sopacua

-----------------------------------------------------
\ Email Quoting, the forgotten art:                 /
/ http://www.kassj.com/netiquette/netiquette.html#5 \
-----------------------------------------------------

Jani Taskinen

23 years ago

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003, Melvyn Sopacua wrote:

>>
>>     But this won't work as the configure bails out if no mysql headers/libs
>>     are found..(when you use plain --with-mysql default paths are searched)
>
>The 'old' behavior, was to enable mysql by default, because of the bundled libs
>and then issue a warning about using them.
>
>The 'new' behavior disables mysql by default and bails out on any config
>errors, which means you are left with the enabled by default stuff.

Do I need to say that that sentence doesn't make any sense? :)

--Jani

Melvyn Sopacua

23 years ago

At 13:02 7/18/2003, Jani Taskinen wrote:

> >>
> >>     But this won't work as the configure bails out if no mysql
> headers/libs
> >>     are found..(when you use plain --with-mysql default paths are
> searched)
> >
> >The 'old' behavior, was to enable mysql by default, because of the
> bundled libs
> >and then issue a warning about using them.
> >
> >The 'new' behavior disables mysql by default and bails out on any config
> >errors, which means you are left with the enabled by default stuff.
>
>     Do I need to say that that sentence doesn't make any sense? :)

OK:
PHP 4.3:
./configure     -> builds mysql with bundled libs
PHP 5:
./configure     -> does NOT build mysql


Best regards,

Melvyn Sopacua

-----------------------------------------------------
\ Email Quoting, the forgotten art:                 /
/ http://www.kassj.com/netiquette/netiquette.html#5 \
-----------------------------------------------------

George Schlossnagle

23 years ago

On Friday, July 18, 2003, at 07:44  AM, Melvyn Sopacua wrote:

> At 13:02 7/18/2003, Jani Taskinen wrote:
>
>> >>
>> >>     But this won't work as the configure bails out if no mysql
>> headers/libs
>> >>     are found..(when you use plain --with-mysql default paths are
>> searched)
>> >
>> >The 'old' behavior, was to enable mysql by default, because of the
>> bundled libs
>> >and then issue a warning about using them.
>> >
>> >The 'new' behavior disables mysql by default and bails out on any
>> config
>> >errors, which means you are left with the enabled by default stuff.
>>
>>     Do I need to say that that sentence doesn't make any sense? :)
>
> OK:
> PHP 4.3:
> ./configure     -> builds mysql with bundled libs
> PHP 5:
> ./configure     -> does NOT build mysql

It's a new major release.  New extensions are enabled and disabled by
default.  Options change, read the README.  Nothing to see here.

George

Derick Rethans

23 years ago

On Wed, 16 Jul 2003, Olivier Hill wrote:

> We *have* to ungrade PHP docs to reflect all those kind of changes in
> the new release... And we *have* to generate the docs more often. I
> *always* find obsoletes informations on the PHP website, and when I look
> on CVS, it's already fixed... But still, doesn't show on the "official"
> docs on the website.

I'm going to start a doc build in one hour, if you get a faq entry in it
will be online tonight.

regards,
Derick

--
"Interpreting what the GPL actually means is a job best left to those
that read the future by examining animal entrails."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derick Rethans                                 http://derickrethans.nl/
International PHP Magazine                          http://php-mag.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sterling Hughes

23 years ago

On Wed, 2003-07-16 at 22:23, Olivier Hill wrote:

> Sterling Hughes wrote:
> > Just don't reply.
> >
> > -Sterling
>

> Kind of rude... We should a *least* have an auto-reply directing to a
> "closed bug" report telling users to use the system libmysql. I had
> *absolutely* no problems compiling with mysql, but that's because I did
> know that it wasn't bundled anymore.
>

Not rude at all.  A user comes to you, without ever meeting you, asks a
question, some of your time, often in an unpolite manner and its rude
not to reply?  Please.

If you respond to users (that you don't know), its just going to give
your life unnecessary aggravation.  Just pipe to /dev/null and be done
with it, they'll find their answer elsewhere.

For example, when I started responding "I charge 120 USD p/h for
technical support, and I would be glad to help you."  It was amazing how
many users responded back, usually within 5 minutes, "nm found it on
Google." Apparently 5 minutes of my time to respond, is worth 5 less
than 5 minutes of their time to search on google.  The others didn't
respond at all btw.  PHP Developer's are not your or anybody's personal
support desk.  If we do answer, be grateful, buy us something from our
wishlist, most times we just did you a big favor.

If we don't, please don't call us rude.  You've never done anything for
us, nor do you even know us.

-Sterling

--
"Backups are for wimps. Real men upload their data to an FTP site and
have everyone else mirror it."
- Linus Torvalds

Olivier Hill

23 years ago

Sterling Hughes wrote:

>
> If we don't, please don't call us rude.  You've never done anything for
> us, nor do you even know us.

Thanks for the flaming, I wasn't pointing it back at you.

I know lot of users are lazy and kind of angry sometimes. But we need to
provide the proper information so we could say: RTFM.

As for the "you've done nothing and you don't know us", I've met a few
of the PHP group in Montreal recently, and I surely mean it when I say:
"If I can so something with the so little knowledge I have, then I'd be
happy to".

Be back in a few with the ./configure patch and the message.. Feel free
to correct my English.

Oliver

--
GB/E/IT d+ s+:+ a-- C++$ UL++++$ P++++ L+++$ E- W++$ N- ?o ?K w--(---)
!O M+$ V- PS+ PE- Y PGP t++ 5-- X+@ R- tv++ b++(+++) DI++++ D+ G++ e+>++
h(*) r y+(?)

George Schlossnagle

23 years ago

On Thursday, July 17, 2003, at 08:25  PM, Olivier Hill wrote:

> Sterling Hughes wrote:
>> If we don't, please don't call us rude.  You've never done anything
>> for
>> us, nor do you even know us.
>
> Thanks for the flaming, I wasn't pointing it back at you.

Sterling wasn't addressing you directly, but rather the disembodied
questioning user.  Still. he's right.  If someone you've never met
writes you an email, why should you feel compelled to answer it.  An
RTFM response takes time and encourages one-on-one feedback.  Perhaps
you dont receive enough user mail to understand that this is not
necessarily desirable. There are numerous lists where a user can
appropriately seek help.  Asking the developer of a particular
component directly is not an encouraged methodology.

George

Derick Rethans

23 years ago

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003, Olivier Hill wrote:

> Sterling Hughes wrote:
> >
> > If we don't, please don't call us rude.  You've never done anything for
> > us, nor do you even know us.
>
> Thanks for the flaming, I wasn't pointing it back at you.

And Sterling was referring to the guys asking for help...

> I know lot of users are lazy and kind of angry sometimes. But we need to
> provide the proper information so we could say: RTFM.

Write a FAQ then, like I suggested.

Derick

--
"Interpreting what the GPL actually means is a job best left to those
that read the future by examining animal entrails."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derick Rethans                                 http://derickrethans.nl/
International PHP Magazine                          http://php-mag.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Derick Rethans

23 years ago

Hi!

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003, Georg Richter wrote:

> since PHP5 beta is out I got tons of emails which a) complained about missing
> libmysql for ext/mysqli b) about licensing problems and possible solutions.

Write a faq entry to which you/we can point them? I think that might be
the best solution.

regards,
Derick

--
"Interpreting what the GPL actually means is a job best left to those
that read the future by examining animal entrails."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derick Rethans                                 http://derickrethans.nl/
International PHP Magazine                          http://php-mag.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------