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Submission + - Libre-RISC-V 3D CPU/GPU applying for EUR 400,000 worth of NLNet Grants (google.com)

lkcl writes: The Libre RISC-V Hybrid CPU/GPU, previously reported on /., is applying for eight additional grants from the NLNet Foundation, totalling EUR 400,000. Details on each Grant Application are on the newly-opened RISC-V Community Forum.

The general idea is to kick RISC-V into a commercially-viable mass-volume high gear by putting forward funding proposals for NEON/SSE-style Video Acceleration to be upstreamed for use by ffmpeg, vlc, mplayer and gstreamer; hardware-assisted Mesa 3D (a port of the RADV Vulkan Driver to RISC-V), and a hardware-accelerated OpenCL port to RISC-V. This all in a "Hybrid" fashion (a la NEON/SSE) as opposed to the "usual" way that 3D and Video is done, which hugely complicate both software drivers and applications debugging.

In addition, the Libre RISC-V SoC itself is applying for grants to do a gcc port supporting its Vectorisation Engine including auto-vectorisation, and, crucially, to do an entirely Libre-licensed ASIC Layout using LIP6.fr coriolis2, working in tandem with Chips4Makers to create a 180nm commercially-viable single-core dual-issue test ASIC.

The process takes approximately 2-3 months for approval. Once accepted, anyone may be the direct (tax-deductible) recipient of NLNet donations, for sub-tasks completed. Worth noting: Puri.sm is sponsoring the project, and, given NLNet's Charitable Status, donations from Corporations (or individuals) are 100% tax-deductible.

Submission + - NLNet funds development of a Libre RISC-V 3D CPU (crowdsupply.com)

lkcl writes: The NLNet Foundation has approved funding for the Hybrid Libre RISC-V CPU/VPU/GPU under its Privacy and Enhanced Trust Programme. High security software is irrelevant if the hardware is fundamentally compromised, for example with the Intel spying backdoor co-processor known as the Management Engine. The Libre RISCV SoC was begun as a way for users to regain trust and ownership of the hardware that they legitimately purchase.

This processor will be the first of its kind, as the first commercial SoC designed to give users the hardware and software source code of the 3D GPU, Video Decoder, main processor, boot process and the OS.

Shockingly, in the year 2019, whilst there are dozens of SoCs with full source code that are missing either a VPU or a GPU (such as the TI OMAP Series and Xilinx ZYNQ7000s), there does not exist a single commercial embedded SoC which has full source code for the bootloader, CPU, VPU and GPU. The iMX6 for example has etnaviv support for its GPU however the VPU is proprietary, and all of Rockchip and Allwinner's offerings use either MALI or PowerVR yet their VPUs have full source (reverse engineered in the case of Allwinner).

This processor, which will be quad core dual issue 800mhz RV64GC and capable of running full GNU/Linux SMP OSes, with 720p video playback and embedded level 25fps 3D performance in around 2.5 watts at 28nm, is designed to address that imbalance. Links and details on the Libre RISC-V SoC wiki.

The real question is: why is this project the only one of its kind, and why has no well funded existing Fabless Semiconductor Company tried something like this before? The benefits to businesses of having full source code are already well-known.

Comment Re:Air resistance. (Score 1) 1184

Unless I found a shitty converter.. that'd equal something like 0.44 l/10km (just the way I'm used to seeing it) Which is very exactly what my parents' VW passat from '97 manages to do, however not quite in 80 mph, say in 80 km/h. And that car has no start-stop-stuff, no regenerative breaks, no hybrid capabilites etcetc. Just pure old diesel. And that is (was) a rather nice car actually, so I don't see the problem with getting that to work with current technloogy without sacrificing too much comfort.

Comment This is GREAT (Score 1) 200

This really made me happy to the very core of my being! Sign me up to buy the first phone you make, no matter if none of my two N9s are dead by then. Wonder if they take smaller, albeit non-trivial, investments... I actually wouldn't even get mad if they failed and lost "my" money. At least they would have tried to do the right thing. When they get some traction i would love to come and work for Jolla, but for now I guess they'll keep the team pretty small still.

Comment Re:Shit gets shittier (Score 1) 534

People are resistant to change. As a software developer, I'm sick of my boss saying "we can't make things better because it'll disrupt users". Fuck that. Let's disrupt some goddamn users so we aren't stuck with Win 3.1 interfaces everywhere.

Same appearantly was the case with Ubuntu's unity.. but that time the dev-team won. :( Bleeping mouse-centric GUI, it takes forever to get stuff done, and here i've been complaining about win 7's grouping taskbar and OSX, but that seriously takes the price.

Software evolves. The first interface is not the best. People should evolve with it.

How about not disrupting, but instead enabling users to work in new ways (as well)? We can't all think the same you know... just because the new "flow" is better it's not for every one of us.

Comment Re:Solution (Score 1) 1140

But what about the format?! I for one won't carry a 17'' laptop with me... They are HUGE! My 15'' 4:3 1400*1050px is smaller than just about any 15.4/15.6 and they mostly have 768 or 800 vertical pixels. (That obviously means i have more pixels, BUT also a lager display area in a smaller package) On the odd occation that you find 1440*900 that is not overly expensive... well, probably something else is wrong due to that there are like 3 of them... So no, you are making the so-called midrange laptops up, nothing portable and somewhat affordable has 1680*1050.

Comment Re:yup (Score 0, Troll) 747

Indeed. The only use i can see for this "break-trough" is enabling your old tvs to make use of HD content, both early digital devices and of course analog ones (as this opens for more and cheaper? HDfury-like products). Thinking of it this way.. exactly what were they prohibiting? Pirated HD seems unaffected...(?) Or had they teamed up with tv-makers to help them make shitloads of tvs obsolete perhaps? I bet they were scared of all that analog HD out there because it's too damn easy to copy and distribute... oh wait! :O

Comment Re:This is the first thing to get dropped?! (Score 1) 900

Well, if there are better things, include them! Still I'd consider Abiword superior in being simple to use for a Word-person, hands down. All of OOo is messed up and you simply cannot find where to change certain setting, as with msoffice, all you have to do is look a little. OOo is one of the programs that give FOSS a bad name, imho.

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