COPYING: create a new file with points to the Kernel license files

With the addition of SPDX patchset, the contents of COPYING file
is now duplicated at two other files under LICENSE:
	LICENSES/preferred/GPL-2.0
	LICENSES/exceptions/Linux-syscall-note

It is easy to check that the contents of the licence written on
those files are identical with COPYING using:

	$ diff -upr COPYING LICENSES/preferred/GPL-2.0
	$ diff -upr COPYING LICENSES/exceptions/Linux-syscall-note|less

Also, a new file was added, with describes how SPDX should work at
the Kernel source files:
	Documentation/process/license-rules.rst

Instead fo having it copying the contents of two files, and not
even mentioning the third one, replace it by a file whose content
points to the other tree files, preserving the Kernel's license.

Adjust license-rules.rst accordingly.

Please notice that this file preserves the Kernel license as
is, without any changes.

Signed-off-by: Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab@s-opensource.com>
Reviewed-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>
Signed-off-by: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>
This commit is contained in:
Mauro Carvalho Chehab 2018-03-23 06:51:05 -03:00 committed by Jonathan Corbet
parent aebb47d4e7
commit 88de995ccf
2 changed files with 28 additions and 8 deletions

18
COPYING.new Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
The Linux Kernel is provided under:
SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 WITH Linux-syscall-note
Being under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only,
according with:
LICENSES/preferred/GPL-2.0
With an explicit syscall exception, as stated at:
LICENSES/exceptions/Linux-syscall-note
In addition, other licenses may also apply. Please see:
Documentation/process/license-rules.rst
for more details.

View file

@ -4,15 +4,17 @@ Linux kernel licensing rules
============================ ============================
The Linux Kernel is provided under the terms of the GNU General Public 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 License version 2 only (GPL-2.0), as provided in LICENSES/preferred/GPL-2.0,
Foundation, and provided in the COPYING file. This documentation file is with an explicit syscall exception described in
not meant to replace the COPYING file, but provides a description of how LICENSES/exceptions/Linux-syscall-note, as described in the COPYING file.
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, This documentation file provides a description of how each source file
though individual source files can have a different license which is should be annotated to make its license clear and unambiguous.
required to be compatible with the GPL-2.0:: It doesn't replace the Kernel's license.
The license described 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::
GPL-1.0+ : GNU General Public License v1.0 or later GPL-1.0+ : GNU General Public License v1.0 or later
GPL-2.0+ : GNU General Public License v2.0 or later GPL-2.0+ : GNU General Public License v2.0 or later