Full-Fat, Kernel-Ready: Why RISC-V Linux Needs Everyone Upstream
a day ago
- #Linux
- #Upstreaming
- #RISC-V
- RISC-V's software stack is maturing, making upstreaming code critical for compatibility and reducing costs.
- Major Linux distributions like Red Hat and Canonical are supporting RISC-V, with RHEL 10 and Ubuntu targeting RVA23.
- Upstreaming ensures code is part of all future Linux versions, reducing long-term maintenance costs and technical debt.
- RISC-V's open model allows for AI-native solutions, making it a leading architecture for AI applications.
- The Linux kernel sees rapid changes, with thousands of lines of code added, removed, or modified daily.
- RVA23 Profile provides a standardized hardware target, improving compatibility and encouraging upstream contributions.
- RISE (RISC-V Software Ecosystem) fosters collaboration between hardware and software communities to ensure software readiness.
- Canonical and Red Hat are leading efforts to bring enterprise-grade Linux to RISC-V, ensuring parity with other architectures.
- Greg Kroah-Hartman emphasizes the importance of upstreaming for RISC-V vendors to avoid fragmentation and ensure stability.
- Trust and collaboration are key to RISC-V's success, with upstreaming being the clearest path to compatibility and scale.