floofloofDebian Linux is Joining The RISC-V Bandwagon
HousePantherI love this! I just cannot wait for the day that I can build a RISC or ARM64 desktop in the same way we would an Intel or AMD one. I realize though that this is still a ways out.
Getting there—the last time I checked, Gentoo had enough stuff with ~riscv keywords to produce a KDE desktop with Firefox, a media player, email, and some other useful software. If Firefox is completely functional, that alone would be enough for some people. Still not user-friendly to install, though, because Gentoo. Debian’s better at that part. Anyway, if you can get the hardware, the software is edging up on “possible”.
sabIt's not long ago Pine64 announced their Pinetab-V with RISC-V infrastructure and absolutely no software support, now people are already running KDE Plasma and watching YouTube videos with it. It doesn't sound like a lot, but I'm amazed how fast it's developing.
I really don't think we're that far away from being able to run RISK-V as a daily driver for basic computing.
And I gotta say, my partner recently got a M1 MacBook Air, and while I have many reservations about the device I'm jealous about the fanlessnes and battery life. So I'd absolutely be interested in being an early adopter.
Is its firmware open source? If so, I’ll happily buy one.
The processor is a JH7100 - from this statement it seems to be open, but I honestly don't know how to verify it.
The purpose is primarily to get a RISC-V device out there so that people can start hacking away - if you're more interested in using it than tinkering with it, it's probably better to wait a bit longer. :)
ikiddwiki.pine64.org/wiki/PineTab-V is the place to start looking for info.
FreeBSD has had kde on riscV for a bit now, if they can do it I can’t imagine Debian et all will have much issue once they get the ball rolling.
People are running KDE desktop on the VisionFive 2.
Arch Linux has had a RISC-V port for quite a while now - FYI, just in case you don’t know, Felix (the guy running the website I linked) is one of the Arch Linux package maintainers.
It’s probably gonna happen sooner than you think, I’m happy to say. You can already buy desktop motherboards that come with decently powerful ARM CPUs. The options are very limited of course and you’re probably not gonna have the best experience, but we’re getting there.
Sweet! That is good news. Given the power efficiency of ARM CPUs when compared to Intel and AMD, well, there just really is no comparison.
TimeSquirrelA ton of stuff we take for granted will have to be recompiled and you can forget even trying to use Proton to play x86/x64 games without some weird flaky hacks and actual virtualization, since it's only a translation layer.
ᗪᗩᗰᑎokay? so stop making progress because some games might not work? doesn’t sound reasonable.
I'm not saying that. I'm saying there's a lot of work to do ahead.
ah, well that’s a reasonable take. cool profile pic btw!
We said the same about ARM a while back
You say that, but people already got Stardew Valley to work on RISCV Linux!
Note that it is a link to Reddit. The post is made by the Box64 developer though, that’s why I linked it.
RISC is good
jayrhackerHack the Planet!
Let me go get my axe!
The Ramen DutchmanAnd my bow!
RISC is going to change everything.
This is fantastic. I hope they do great work
BearPearSo are there any laptops or computers using RISC? First time gearing about this.
Lots of single-board computers. I think Pine64 has a RISC-V tablet coming out. And Framework, bless their souls, have floated the idea of offering motherboards for their laptops that are ARM64 or RISC-V. Let us hope and pray.
I can’t wait for laptops using RISC-V
PINETAB-V - 10.1" 8GB/128GB RISC-V based Linux tablet with detachable backlit keyboard - PINE STORE
********************** Disclaimer *********************** The PineTab-V is an experimental device and lacks dedicated working software - it should therefore only be purchased by people interested in helping with the bring-up process of Linux and BSDs on the RISC-V architecture. Do _NOT_ buy unless you intend to use it for development purposes. The PineTab-V comes without an OS installed. PineTab-V orders ship on their own because the device contains a Lithium-ion battery - this means that other items cannot be present in the cart at order check-out. We apologize for the inconvenience. CHASSIS: Dimensions: 242mm x 161mm x 9mm Weight: 520 grams (without keyboard), 990 grams (includes keyboard) Build: Metal and Plastic Color: Matte Black DISPLAY: Type: HD IPS capacitive touchscreen, 16.7M colors Size: 10.1 inches Resolution: 1280×800 pixels, 16:10 ratio PLATFORM: OS: None. Ships with factory testing software preinstalled Chipset: StarFive JH7110 CPU: 64-bit Quad-core 1.5 GHz SiFive U74 RISC-V GPU: Imagination Technology BXE-4-32 MEMORY: Internal Flash Memory: 128GB eMMC module System Memory: 8GB LPDDR4 SDRAM Expansion: micro SD Card support SDHC and SDXC, up to 2TB CAMERA: Main Camera: Single 5MP, LED Flash Selfie Camera: Single 2MP SOUND: Loudspeaker: Yes, stereo 3.5mm jack with mic: Yes, stereo COMMUNICATION: WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 ax/ac/b/g/n, dual-band, hotspot Bluetooth: 5.2, A2DP FEATURES: USB port: 1x USB 3.0 port (front side 3.0, rear side 2.0), 1x USB Type-C 2.0 port (also use as charging and debug port) USB 2.0 docking port HD Video out BATTERY: Li-Po 6000mAh battery Charging: 15W – 5V 3A PACKAGE: PineTab RISC-V version Detached backlit keyboard, also act as cover and stand USB-A to USB-C charging cable Warranty: 30 days Note: Do not buy unless you intend to use it for development purposes. The shipment of PineTab-V is handled differently from other Pine64 products due to the in-built Lithium-ion battery. For this reason we didn’t allow completing orders of the PineTab-V while other Pine64 products are preset in the cart. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Small numbers (1-3) of stuck or dead pixels are a characteristic of LCD screens. These are normal and should not be considered a defect. When fulfilling the purchase, please bear in mind that we are offering this product at this price as a community service to the PINE64 community. If you think that a minor dissatisfaction, such as a dead pixel, will prompt you to file a PayPal dispute then please do not purchase this device. Thank you.
There’s currently only two Risc-v laptops that I’ve heard of: The Alibaba Roma and the Balthazar Personal Computing Device.
Most development is currently happening in SBCs and microcontrollers.
Can somebody ELI5 this to a normal tech person who is aware of the RISC5, but has no idea why everyone is so excited about this?
- Why is this exciting?
- Is there a future where this replaces x86 CPUs in the desktop / laptop?
- Will emulation or translation layers allow x86 applications to run on RISC CPUs?
I’m also just a normal tech person, so my answers may be inaccurate.
My understanding is:
If I said something stupid, please let me know, I’d like to learn about this!
Just to clarify a few points in #1: CISC has gone largely (entirely?) extinct, so it doesn’t play into this.
Arm processors are more efficient than x86, but Risc-v is even more efficient than Arm, giving them an edge in cheap, low power computing. However, some companies have started experimenting with Risc-v for HPC applications, so it’s turning out more versatile than expected.
Just this week there was also news of a bunch of companies banding together to develop Risc-v chips for automobile and Telecom, so don’t be surprised if we get Risc-v smartphones and tablets in the near future.
garamI just hope at least on PC/Laptop there are this kind of chips that’s so powerful that we can have 1 weeks full of battery…
JustEnoughDucksIt would more likely be that the battery lasts 10-20% longer than ARM. You won’t triple or quadruple efficiency with just an architecture change unless it is world-changing new tech
The problem is ARM laptop isn’t even available in 3rd world country like mine. I still waiting tho, even if it’s exists, it’s expensive as expensive buying a high end motorcycle… worth of 3x yearly salary
#1: CISC has gone largely (entirely?) extinct
Citation needed? Isn’t x86 considered a CISC?
Yes and no. AFAIK when codibg assembler for these chips yoh use CISC-instructions but they get translated into RISC-instructions by a hardcoded mikroprocessing-unit (not sure about the real term). So the processor itself gets RISC-instructions.
In reality it seems to be more complicated: fanael.github.io/is-x86-risc-internally.html