RISC-V Gets Sv57-Based Virtual Memory, Other Improvements For Linux 5.18

[phoronix]

Phoronix: RISC-V Gets Sv57-Based Virtual Memory, Other Improvements For Linux 5.18

The RISC-V CPU architecture updates have landed for the in-development Linux 5.18 kernel...

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-5.18-RISC-V

[Developer12]

Now if all the major companies that actually have a chance of shipping a RISC-V based chip...

...weren't committed to shipping inscrutable binary blobs required to make them boot. (looking at you, sifive)

[Paradigm Shifter]

Not a comment on the article per se, and maybe it's just me, but I'd rather see a much larger passive heatsink than that dinky little fan which probably moves about 0.05CFM.

[rabcor]

Now if all the major companies that actually have a chance of shipping a RISC-V based chip...

...weren't committed to shipping inscrutable binary blobs required to make them boot. (looking at you, sifive)

I think SiFive's working with intel on a RISC-V chip for desktops/laptops right now. Shouldn't be so surprising about them. But it still is.

[Ground0]

I wait for a Socket RISC CPU. Which could be easly changed.

[uid313]

I wait for a Socket RISC CPU. Which could be easly changed.

This would be a dream, but I doubt we will ever see it. It seems RISC-V isn't targeted for end-users or to give end-users freedom, its for big corporations to make larger profits by cutting costs.

[jabl]

I think SiFive's working with intel on a RISC-V chip for desktops/laptops right now.

Huge if true. What makes you think that?

(What I've seen in the news is that SiFive and IFS have some kind of deal. But that's quite a big step from what you're suggesting above.)

[billyswong]

Now if all the major companies that actually have a chance of shipping a RISC-V based chip...

...weren't committed to shipping inscrutable binary blobs required to make them boot. (looking at you, sifive)

Yeah, patents in instruction set expire fast while copyright of those blobs last many generations. In 10 years, everyone with pocket deep enough can invest and fab a minimal x86_64 CPU legally. Some may even start being able to fab armv7/armv8 CPU without paying license fee. But we will be long stuck by those binary blob'd devices with very high legal barrier to clean room reverse engineer them.

[Developer12]

Yeah, patents in instruction set expire fast while copyright of those blobs last many generations. In 10 years, everyone with pocket deep enough can invest and fab a minimal x86_64 CPU legally. Some may even start being able to fab armv7/armv8 CPU without paying license fee. But we will be long stuck by those binary blob'd devices with very high legal barrier to clean room reverse engineer them.

The timeline for copyright is far too long, but that's yet *another* issue entirely. Can you imagine it used to be shorter than the patent term is now?

[CochainComplex]

Patent was yesterday. Blobs are the future.