RE: [PATCH v2] ALSA: opl4: Add SPDX id lines to files in opl4 driver

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Fontana <[email protected]>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 6:12 PM
> To: Bird, Tim <[email protected]>
> Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; =
[email protected]; [email protected];
> [email protected]; [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] ALSA: opl4: Add SPDX id lines to files in opl4 dr=
iver
>=20
> On Tue, Feb 17, 2026 at 6:=E2=80=8A23 PM Tim Bird <tim.=E2=80=8Abird@=E2=
=80=8Asony.=E2=80=8Acom> wrote: > > Add a license file for the BSD-Source-C=
ode license variant. > Add
> "SPDX-License-Identifier GPL-2.=E2=80=8A0-or-later OR BSD-Source-Code" > =
to files using this license
>=20
> On Tue, Feb 17, 2026 at 6:23=E2=80=AFPM Tim Bird <[email protected]> wrot=
e:
> >
> > Add a license file for the BSD-Source-Code license variant.
> > Add "SPDX-License-Identifier GPL-2.0-or-later OR BSD-Source-Code"
> > to files using this license and the 'Alternatively...' language.
> > Remove the boilerplate text from the files.
>=20
> [. . .]
> > +License-Text:
> > +
> > +Copyright (c) <year> <owner> . All rights reserved.
> > +
> > +Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
> > +modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are=
 met:
> > +
> > + - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright noti=
ce,
> > +   this list of conditions and the following disclaimer,
> > +   without modification.
> > +
> > + - The name of the author may not be used to endorse or promote produc=
ts
> > +   derived from this software without specific prior written permissio=
n.
> > +
> > +THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND
> > +ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
> > +IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PUR=
POSE
> > +ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE=
 FOR
> > +ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
> > +DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
> > +OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
> > +HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, ST=
RICT
> > +LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY =
WAY
> > +OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
> > +SUCH DAMAGE.
>=20
> This isn't (at least not currently) `BSD-Source-Code`. See:
> https://spdx.org/licenses/BSD-Source-Code.html
> and https://github.com/spdx/license-list-XML/blob/main/src/BSD-Source-Cod=
e.xml

Yeah.  I used the wording from the files in the Linux kernel.  There are ab=
out 3 variations of
the wording for this license that I have found so far.  I included the URL =
for the SPDX version
in the kernel's license file in this patch.

Here is the wording from the SPDX site:
-----
Redistribution and use of this software in source and binary forms, with or=
 without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions=
 are met:

* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, th=
is list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
* Neither the name of Deusty nor the names of its contributors may be used =
to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific =
prior written permission of Deusty, LLC.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"=
 AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE =
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE =
ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE L=
IABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUE=
NTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOO=
DS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HO=
WEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LI=
ABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT=
 OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DA=
MAGE.
-----

While there *are* textual differences, I believe the two versions of the te=
xt are semantically equivalent.

The one in the patch was submitted by Clemens Ladisch in the original opl4 =
driver submission.  I haven't
done an exact count yet, but I believe this variant of the wording is used =
in more places than other
variants in the kernel.  My preference is to use the wording variant that w=
as most commonly used
by kernel contributors, so that the kernel's LICENSE file matches the most =
places where the license
text was replaced with an SPDX-License-Identifier line.

I've been trying to avoid having to make a kernel LICENSE file for every mi=
nor variant of otherwise
semantically the same license text.  I believe dealing with this plethora o=
f license variants is one reason the
SPDX work stalled out previously.

Let me know if you think the text in the kernel's License file  (for a give=
n license) must be an exact match
for the spdx web site text for the license.  A separate question is whether=
 it's appropriate to use the same
SPDX ID for variations on the same license text.  I believe it is, in this =
case, but I'm open to hearing
other opinions.
 -- Tim