From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.0 (2014-02-07) on aws-us-west-2-korg-lkml-1.web.codeaurora.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.8 required=3.0 tests=DKIM_INVALID,DKIM_SIGNED, HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS,MAILING_LIST_MULTI,SPF_HELO_NONE,SPF_PASS autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.0 Received: from mail.kernel.org (mail.kernel.org [198.145.29.99]) by smtp.lore.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0F83CC04AAC for ; Mon, 20 May 2019 19:26:23 +0000 (UTC) Received: from vger.kernel.org (vger.kernel.org [209.132.180.67]) by mail.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D3A13208C3 for ; Mon, 20 May 2019 19:26:22 +0000 (UTC) Authentication-Results: mail.kernel.org; dkim=fail reason="key not found in DNS" (0-bit key) header.d=jilayne.com header.i=@jilayne.com header.b="WxySwK1J" Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1725810AbfETT0W (ORCPT ); Mon, 20 May 2019 15:26:22 -0400 Received: from mx1-c1.supremebox.com ([198.23.53.215]:43399 "EHLO mx1.supremebox.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-FAIL) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1725616AbfETT0W (ORCPT ); Mon, 20 May 2019 15:26:22 -0400 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; q=dns/txt; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=jilayne.com ; s=default; h=To:References:Message-Id:Content-Transfer-Encoding:Cc:Date: In-Reply-To:From:Subject:Mime-Version:Content-Type:Sender:Reply-To:Content-ID :Content-Description:Resent-Date:Resent-From:Resent-Sender:Resent-To: Resent-Cc:Resent-Message-ID:List-Id:List-Help:List-Unsubscribe:List-Subscribe :List-Post:List-Owner:List-Archive; bh=7K0Xecf9vNdpdJoFq2WK0ZB3oJYFHOeHlp2BCQMBQKY=; b=WxySwK1JZ6w2b+DrwMZ6W8BdoF OHCO6alp2f5ovDb2qZJD3xvu7NXnwGWAdTMpEGfQdnVw5f2H/bMoDTTI3Q6b/0ueViyAQSqRLFJDP GB/xwyzDFGc34IizsoGMIH7wta/u2RZuwvYyaRDaxfEJgWqYx8+J2BrjWWkhTnk+vLFY=; Received: from [67.164.173.226] (helo=[10.0.0.176]) by mx1.supremebox.com with esmtpa (Exim 4.89) (envelope-from ) id 1hSnvQ-0004QF-PW; Mon, 20 May 2019 19:26:21 +0000 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Mime-Version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 12.4 \(3445.104.8\)) Subject: Re: clarification on -only and -or-later From: J Lovejoy In-Reply-To: <20190520185232.GB27926@kroah.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2019 13:26:19 -0600 Cc: linux-spdx@vger.kernel.org Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message-Id: References: <13E71306-C67C-418B-AB71-2C926B3EA58E@jilayne.com> <20190520185232.GB27926@kroah.com> To: Greg KH X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.3445.104.8) X-Sender-Ident-agJab5osgicCis: opensource@jilayne.com Sender: linux-spdx-owner@vger.kernel.org Precedence: bulk List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-spdx@vger.kernel.org > On May 20, 2019, at 12:52 PM, Greg KH = wrote: >=20 > On Mon, May 20, 2019 at 12:40:45PM -0600, J Lovejoy wrote: >> Hi all, >>=20 >> We discussed some example of =E2=80=9Cinterpreting=E2=80=9D GPL = non-standard notices >> in terms of when -only or -or-later. I wanted to make sure we all >> agree. Here are some examples for illustration and rationale: >=20 > This all pertains to the kernel, correct? Other projects may have > different viewpoints. yes, that=E2=80=99s why I was posting on this list :) should have mentioned above this was me trying to remember the = discussion from a session at the FSFE event in Barcelona where we = discussed some of the =E2=80=9Cnon-standard=E2=80=9D license headers. >=20 >> 1) where no version is indicated, the license text of GPL (all >> versions) tells us what to do, " If the Program does not specify a >> version number of this License, you may choose any version ever >> published by the Free Software Foundation.=E2=80=9D=20 >> - thus, use: SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-1.0-or-later >>=20 >> example: >>=20 >> * May be copied or modified under the terms of the GNU General = Public License so, I=E2=80=99m assuming you agree with scenario 1? >>=20 >> 2) where a version is indicated, but no language to the effect of = =E2=80=9Cor >> any later version=E2=80=9D is included. The license text of GPL (all = versions) >> arguably speaks to this with, "If the Program specifies a version >> number of this License which applies to it and "any later version", >> you have the option of following the terms and conditions either of >> that version or of any later version published by the Free Software >> Foundation.=E2=80=9D >> Also, the standard header either includes "or (at your option) any = later version=E2=80=9D or simply removes that to indicate =E2=80=98only = this version=E2=80=99 >> - thus, use: SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only >=20 > Or the older format: > GPL-2.0 >=20 >> examples:=20 >>=20 >> * This driver is released to the public under the terms of the >> * GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE version 2 >> * See the file COPYING for details. >>=20 >> * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or = modify it >> * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as = published by >> * the Free Software Foundation. >>=20 >> 3) where the license notice in the file simply points to the COPYING = file or some other license file that contains the full text of GPL-2.0 >> This is a tougher call, as there isn=E2=80=99t really any arguably = clear call, but my thinking is that we=E2=80=99d use: >> SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later >=20 > No, not at all, because the COPYING file is 2.0, why would we assume > that any new version would be acceptable? >=20 > When files have said "see the COPYING file" or text like that, we are > marking them: > GPL-2.0 >=20 >> I guess I=E2=80=99d justify that (loosely) because the default = license - in >> this case, GPL-2.0 - contains the default standard header which has >> the =E2=80=9Cor any later version=E2=80=9D language >=20 > No, there is no such "standard header here". >=20 >> and no one did anything to remove that or otherwise indicate a >> limitation, but at least did provide a version of the license, so = I=E2=80=99d >> feel comfortable saying it=E2=80=99s GPL-2.0-or-later. >=20 > Nope, if it does not say "or later" in the text in the file, we will = not > mark it "or later=E2=80=9D. well, the standard license text includes the exhibit on how to apply the = license terms, which includes the recommended standard license notice = and that does include "or (at your option) any later version.=E2=80=9D - = sorry, I wasn=E2=80=99t clear on what I meant above.=20 >=20 > That is how we have been operating with these tags for over a year = now, > we can not change this at this late date, sorry, this has already been > decided. This is the one I couldn=E2=80=99t remember how it came out as it can be = argued either way, so thanks for clarifying. So, direct reference to a license text file that contains GPL-2.0 will = thus be marked as: GPL-2.0-only (or old SPDX identifier, SPDX-2.0) >=20 >> Note: we had long discussions on this kind of example on SPDX and >> there were some good arguments made to say it could just be GPL-2.0 - >> so I could be swayed here. I should have added that I think you can make a viable argument either = way. During the discussions with FSF regarding changing the SPDX = identifiers for greater clarity, we didn=E2=80=99t get a =E2=80=9Cdefault = position=E2=80=9D of intention from the FSF on what this means.=20 Given the kernel is generally GPL-2.0-only, the position here that = reference to the license file is for =E2=80=99that version only=E2=80=99 = makes sense. Just wanted to make sure I remembered and it is all consistent. (I did = not meant to imply I wanted to re-open the debate, had enough of that = one on the SPDX discussions! ;) >> At the end of the day, we are stuck with >> someone who didn=E2=80=99t take the care enough to tell us or use the = standard >> header. And while we could go back to the copyright holder, that may >> not always be feasible. >>=20 >> examples: >>=20 >> * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU General = Public >> * License. See the file "COPYING" in the main directory of this = archive >> * for more details. >>=20 >> * See LICENSE.qla2xxx for copyright and licensing details. >> (where that file is a copy of GPL-2.0)=20 >=20 > Again, "GPL-2.0". Pretty simple :) >=20 > thanks, >=20 > greg k-h