checkpatch: FSF address check too trigger-happy

From: Uwe Kleine-König

Date: Mon Feb 16 2026 - 01:08:54 EST


Hello,

for commit adf4d56760409c23e3fe50d22f728a93a509734e that currently sits
in

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/deller/linux-fbdev.git for-next

checkpatch says:

$ scripts/checkpatch.pl -g adf4d56760409c23e3fe50d22f728a93a509734e^!
ERROR: Do not include the paragraph about writing to the Free Software Foundation's mailing address from the sample GPL notice. The FSF has changed addresses in the past, and may do so again. Linux already includes a copy of the GPL.
#30: FILE: drivers/video/fbdev/au1100fb.c:42:
* 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.$

total: 1 errors, 0 warnings, 159 lines checked

NOTE: For some of the reported defects, checkpatch may be able to
mechanically convert to the typical style using --fix or --fix-inplace.

Commit adf4d5676040 ("fbdev: au1100fb: Replace custom printk wrappers by pr_*") has style problems, please review.

NOTE: If any of the errors are false positives, please report
them to the maintainer, see CHECKPATCH in MAINTAINERS.

Given that this commit doesn't touch the license comments and only has
the address in the patch context, I think it shouldn't trigger.

I also think that

ERROR: "(foo*)" should be "(foo *)"
#94: FILE: drivers/video/fbdev/au1100fb.c:439:
+ fbdev->regs = (struct au1100fb_regs*)KSEG1ADDR(fbdev->info.fix.mmio_start);

on ba15cdea3f7dbaf4dfbb840a5ed6609bdd8b37dc (in the same tree) should be
at most a warning, given that there is also

- fbdev->regs = (struct au1100fb_regs*)KSEG1ADDR(au1100fb_fix.mmio_start);

.

Best regards
Uwe

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