3 ms·

Looks awesome. Seems like this hardware may be the start of a pivot back towards RISC for general computing. Anybody have an idea if work has started on build

Looks awesome. Seems like this hardware may be the start of a pivot back towards RISC for general computing. Anybody have an idea if work has started on build of OpenBSD or FreeBSD for Risc-v? Would make an excellent chip for building super secure network edge devices or FreeNAS box.

userbinator 9y ago
Seems like this hardware may be the start of a pivot back towards RISC for general computing. I doubt it. RISC-V will probably be seen more as "truly free and open MIPS", and maybe eventually start growing CISC-ish extensions --- they will have to if they want to become/remain competitive with other more popular architectures. Even ARM has become more CISC-y with the introduction of more special-purpose instructions. Would make an excellent chip for building super secure network edge devices or FreeNAS box. That is where I think RISC-V will find a lot of adoption --- since many low-end routers and other network devices already use MIPS (and have barely adequate performance.)
- microcolonel 9y ago
  I don't think there's really any reason to think it won't take off in the datacenter, on Chromebooks, on Android devices, and network/embedded equipment as you mention. Each of these will have a different timeline, but these days there are major markets which are more agnostic to ISA than they were five years ago. The inherent commodity nature of designs and silicon based on a royalty-free ISA will drive down prices to the limits of design and material process, which will drive adoption.
- nickik 9y ago
  If the processor adds more functionality, it should get more instruction, that's why it is extendable. However there is no reason to add specialized instructions for things that can be expressed at a lower level, and that would be CISC. The data and test already done by clearly show that the core premise of the advantages of risc is true. The chips are less complex because of the feature set and use less area and less power.
X86BSD 9y ago
Risc-V has been supported in FreeBSD since 11.0.
microcolonel 9y ago
The FreeBSD RISC-V port has been upstream since FreeBSD 11, the Linux port will be upstream in either this or the next merge window. I don't know of anyone starting on an OpenBSD port, but that being good may be held up by the quality of the LLVM port. If they build it on upstream GCC, though, it should go fine I guess.

userbinator 9y ago

Seems like this hardware may be the start of a pivot back towards RISC for general computing. I doubt it. RISC-V will probably be seen more as "truly free and open MIPS", and maybe eventually start growing CISC-ish extensions --- they will have to if they want to become/remain competitive with other more popular architectures. Even ARM has become more CISC-y with the introduction of more special-purpose instructions. Would make an excellent chip for building super secure network edge devices or FreeNAS box. That is where I think RISC-V will find a lot of adoption --- since many low-end routers and other network devices already use MIPS (and have barely adequate performance.)

microcolonel 9y ago
I don't think there's really any reason to think it won't take off in the datacenter, on Chromebooks, on Android devices, and network/embedded equipment as you mention. Each of these will have a different timeline, but these days there are major markets which are more agnostic to ISA than they were five years ago. The inherent commodity nature of designs and silicon based on a royalty-free ISA will drive down prices to the limits of design and material process, which will drive adoption.
nickik 9y ago
If the processor adds more functionality, it should get more instruction, that's why it is extendable. However there is no reason to add specialized instructions for things that can be expressed at a lower level, and that would be CISC. The data and test already done by clearly show that the core premise of the advantages of risc is true. The chips are less complex because of the feature set and use less area and less power.

X86BSD 9y ago

Risc-V has been supported in FreeBSD since 11.0.

microcolonel 9y ago

The FreeBSD RISC-V port has been upstream since FreeBSD 11, the Linux port will be upstream in either this or the next merge window. I don't know of anyone starting on an OpenBSD port, but that being good may be held up by the quality of the LLVM port. If they build it on upstream GCC, though, it should go fine I guess.