linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] watchdog: Fix full name of the GPL

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-ID: <ad99d227-ce82-319b-6323-b70ac009d0e7@roeck-us.net>
Date:   Sun, 22 Jan 2023 11:45:13 -0800
From:   Guenter Roeck <linux@...ck-us.net>
To:     Diederik de Haas <didi.debian@...ow.org>,
        Wim Van Sebroeck <wim@...ux-watchdog.org>,
        "open list:WATCHDOG DEVICE DRIVERS" <linux-watchdog@...r.kernel.org>,
        open list <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] watchdog: Fix full name of the GPL

On 1/22/23 11:13, Diederik de Haas wrote:
> Signed-off-by: Diederik de Haas <didi.debian@...ow.org>
> ---
>   drivers/watchdog/ibmasr.c | 2 +-
>   1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/watchdog/ibmasr.c b/drivers/watchdog/ibmasr.c
> index 4a22fe152086..eee1043acfff 100644
> --- a/drivers/watchdog/ibmasr.c
> +++ b/drivers/watchdog/ibmasr.c
> @@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
>    * Copyright (c) IBM Corporation, 1998-2004.
>    *
>    * This software may be used and distributed according to the terms
> - * of the GNU Public License, incorporated herein by reference.
> + * of the GNU General Public License, incorporated herein by reference.
>    */
>   
>   #define pr_fmt(fmt) KBUILD_MODNAME ": " fmt

No. The only acceptable change would be to replace the text with the
SPDX license identifier. However, the code is not specific declaring
_which_ license is being used (2.0 only or 2.0+ or even 1.0+).
Given that, the only entity who can change the license text in this
file would be the license holder (which is presumably why it wasn't
touched when the SPDX conversion was made).

On top of that, include/linux/module.h and other files also refer to
"GNU Public License", so I don't really see the point of changing that.

If anyone is still using this driver, it would make more sense to
convert it to use the watchdog subsystem core.

Guenter