Re: [PATCH] sound: soc: Add SPDX ids to many soc files

[Piotr Masłowski]

On Tue Feb 17, 2026 at 7:10 PM CET, Tim Bird wrote:
[...]
> The kernel documentation recommends GPL-2.0 instead of GPL-2.0-only.
> See  https://docs.kernel.org/process/license-rules.html
>
> So my general guideline to myself is to use GPL-2.0 when there's no established
> pattern in a directory.  However, when there is already code with an SPDX ID in a directory
> or from an author, I use whichever one has already been assigned (if it's clear).
> This is to keep consistency and honors previous decisions about which of the
> equivalent IDs to use. sound/soc/apple/mca.c already had a GPL-2.0-only ID,
> and I should have used that for both the Kconfig and the Makefile, by that guideline.
>
> However, there is also consistency by file type.  There are a few more uses of
> GPL-2.0 than GPL-2.0-only in Makefiles throughout the kernel.  But in this
> case I think that the directory/author consistency should take precedence over
> the file type consistency.
>
> So I messed up in this case.  My recollection is that I did this SDPX application in
> two different sweeps of the directory, (that is by file type instead of all files at the
> same time in this dir.) The application of the SPDX ID for the Makefile was done at
> a different time than the application of the SPDX ID for the Kconfig. [...]

Oh wow! That is definitely a lot to remember each time and consider. So
delegating it to an external tool, as you say, is certainly a good idea.

> (and maybe a new tool to check for inconsistencies like this) to avoid this in the future.
>
> The Makefile should have had GPL-2.0-only, to match mca.c and Kconfig.
>
> I will submit a new V2 patch with the Makefile having a GPL-2.0-only ID.
>
> Thanks for catching this!

Only by chance. This time I forgot and did not do my due dilligence
(like at least consulting the documentation, for example).

Best regards,
Piotr Masłowski