Re: [PATCH 1/2] COPYING: create a new file with points to the Kernel license files

From: Matthew Wilcox
Date: Thu Mar 22 2018 - 08:14:04 EST


On Thu, Mar 22, 2018 at 06:54:13AM -0300, Mauro Carvalho Chehab wrote:
> +++ b/Documentation/process/license-rules.rst
> @@ -4,15 +4,17 @@ Linux kernel licensing rules
> ============================
>
> The Linux Kernel is provided under the terms of the GNU General Public
> -License version 2 only (GPL-2.0), as published by the Free Software
> -Foundation, and provided in the COPYING file. This documentation file is
> -not meant to replace the COPYING file, but provides a description of how
> -each source file should be annotated to make the licensing it is governed
> -under clear and unambiguous.
> -
> -The license in the COPYING file applies to the kernel source as a whole,
> -though individual source files can have a different license which is
> -required to be compatible with the GPL-2.0::
> +version 2 only (GPL-2.0), as written at LICENSES/preferred/GPL-2.0,

^^^ you dropped the word 'License' here

Also, I think this should read "as provided in", not "as written at".

> +with an explicit syscall exception described at

s/at/in/

> +LICENSES/exceptions/Linux-syscall-note, as described in the COPYING file.

This phrasing is awkward with "desribed" used twice in the same sentence ...

> +This documentation file is not meant to replace the Kernel's license,
> +but provides a description of how each source file should be annotated
> +to make the licensing it is governed under clear and unambiguous.

I'd rather this said:

This documentation file provides a description of how each source file
should be annotated to make its license clear and unambiguous.