Re: [PATCH v24 01/12] Linux Random Number Generator

From: Thomas Gleixner
Date: Mon Nov 11 2019 - 18:54:37 EST


Stephan,

On Mon, 11 Nov 2019, Stephan MÃller wrote:

thanks for Cc'ing me. I'll have a look at the technical details at later
point in time. While skimming through the patches I noticed, that you
thankfully added the SPDX license identifiers, but

> @@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
> +// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 OR BSD-2-Clause
> +/*
> + * LRNG Fast Noise Source: CPU-based noise source
> + *
> + * Copyright (C) 2016 - 2019, Stephan Mueller <smueller@xxxxxxxxxx>
> + *
> + * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
> + * WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
> + * OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ALL OF
> + * WHICH ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE
> + * LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
> + * CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT
> + * OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR
> + * BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
> + * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
> + * (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE
> + * USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF NOT ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
> + * DAMAGE.

we really want to get rid of these boiler plate disclaimers as they are
already implicit by the SPDX license identifier and provide no real
value.

Aside of that, the above disclaimer has even a slightly different wording
than the standard BSD-2-Clause disclaimer which is going to cause even more
headaches as automated scanner tools will detect that and someone has to go
through that unreadable uppercase yelling mess and figure out whether it's
a legaly substantial difference.

Can you please get rid of those?

Thanks,

tglx