Re: [PATCH] drm/amdkfd: make SPDX License expression more sound

On Thu, Dec 16, 2021 at 4:45 AM Lukas Bulwahn <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Commit b5f57384805a ("drm/amdkfd: Add sysfs bitfields and enums to uAPI")
> adds include/uapi/linux/kfd_sysfs.h with the "GPL-2.0 OR MIT WITH
> Linux-syscall-note" SPDX-License expression.
>
> The command ./scripts/spdxcheck.py warns:
>
>   include/uapi/linux/kfd_sysfs.h: 1:48 Exception not valid for license MIT: Linux-syscall-note
>
> For a uapi header, the file under GPLv2 License must be combined with the
> Linux-syscall-note, but combining the MIT License with the
> Linux-syscall-note makes no sense, as the note provides an exception for
> GPL-licensed code, not for permissively licensed code.
>
> So, reorganize the SPDX expression to only combine the note with the GPL
> License condition. This makes spdxcheck happy again.
>
> Signed-off-by: Lukas Bulwahn <[email protected]>
> ---
> I am not a lawyer and I do not intend to modify the actual licensing of
> this header file. So, I really would like to have an Ack from some AMD
> developer here.
>
> Maybe also a lawyer on the linux-spdx list can check my reasoning on the
> licensing with the exception note?

I believe "MIT WITH Linux-syscall-note" is a syntactically correct
SPDX expression but is otherwise sort of non-meaningful.
"(GPL-2.0 WITH Linux-syscall-note) OR MIT" is presumably what is
intended here. But yes would be good to get confirmation from someone
associated with AMD.

Richard