index.mdwn

   1 <div class="jumbotron">
   2   <h1 class="display-5">Welcome to Libre-SOC</h1>
   3 <blockquote>
   4   <p>We're building a chip. A fast chip. A safe chip. A trusted chip.</p>
   5
   6   <p>A chip with lots of peripherals. And a VPU.  And a 3D GPU...</p>
   7
   8   <p>Oh and here, have the <a href="http://git.libre-soc.org">source code</a>...</p>
   9 </blockquote>
  10   <hr class="my-4">
  11
  12 <h2 class="display-5">Why should I care?</h2>
  13
  14 With Libre-SOC, you can take complex algorithms usually intended for
  15 power hungry servers with big fat GPUs, and run them on tiny devices
  16 like smartwatches, cellphones, and pocket drones without changing your
  17 code at all.
  18
  19   <hr class="my-4">
  20
  21 <h2 class="display-5">Hasn't Somebody Already Done This?</h2>
  22
  23 To the best of our knowledge, no. The closest systems would be ARM Cortex
  24 devices which currently offer mediocre GPU and OpenCL support. Often
  25 times, it is quite difficult for customers to get their hands on the
  26 drivers and install them due to their locked down nature. Libre-SOC is
  27 providing our own Free/Libre drivers. Easy as 1, 2, 3!
  28
  29   <hr class="my-4">
  30
  31 <h2 class="display-5">Does Open Hardware Really Work?</h2>
  32 <p>A few names come to mind:</p>
  33
  34 <ul>
  35 <li><a href="https://www.raspberrypi.org">Raspberry Pi</a></li>
  36 <li><a href="https://www.arduino.cc">Arduino</a></li>
  37 <li><a href="https://www.raptorcs.com">Raptor Computing Systems</a></li>
  38 <li><a href="https://www.bitcraze.io">CrazyFlie</a></li>
  39 <li><a href="https://www.scopefun.com">ScopeFun</a></li>
  40 </ul>
  41
  42   <p class="lead">
  43     <a class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" href="https://libre-soc.org/why_a_libresoc/" role="button">Learn more</a>
  44
  45 </div>
  46
  47
  48
  49 # Our Team
  50
  51 We are proud of our talented and diverse [team](about_us).
  52
  53 # Our sponsors and partners
  54
  55 * [Purism](http://puri.sm) donates to us through [NLNet](nlnet)
  56   charitable gifting
  57 * [Raptor CS](http://raptorcs.com) has given us access to a powerful
  58   18-core 128 GB RAM TALOS II workstation, online.
  59 * [Raptor Engineering](https://raptorengineering.com) is providing
  60   additional assistance including access to an [[shakti/m_class/LPC]]
  61   interface (more to come)
  62 * [MarketNext](http://marketnext.org) is helping us connect to developer
  63   resources in Emerging markets, for completion of NLNet-funded tasks.
  64   See the upcoming [Hackathon](https://www.youtube.com/embed/Px6eakWja3Q"),
  65   deadline May 15th
  66 * The [[PowerPC Notebook]] Project
  67
  68 # How Can I Help?
  69
  70 If you would like to fund us, see [[funding]]. We currently have some
  71 funding and always appreciate more!  If you are a Corporation or an
  72 individual you can donate tax-free to NLNet, and they can in turn gift
  73 our developers.  Contact lkcl@lkcl.net for more information.
  74
  75 # How Can I Help as a Developer?
  76
  77 If you want to write code with us (and receive donations from NLNet
  78 for doing so), keep reading.  If you want to *learn*
  79 so that you can write code with us, see "How can I learn" section,
  80 below.  If there is anything else,
  81 just get in touch on the list, there is plenty to do.
  82
  83 1. First, join the
  84   [mailing list](http://lists.libre-soc.org/mailman/listinfo/libre-soc-dev),
  85   introduce yourself (people will happily say "hello" back") and
  86   the Freenode IRC channel
  87   [#libre-soc](https://libre-soc.org/irclog/latest.log.html).
  88   Read through
  89   [recent posts](http://lists.libre-soc.org/pipermail/libre-soc-dev/)
  90   and the [[charter]], ask questions if you have any and let everyone know,
  91   on the list that you're happy with it and agree to it.
  92 2. The next thing you should do is read through the
  93   [bugs list](http://bugs.libre-soc.org) and
  94   see if there are any bugs that pique your interest.
  95   A fascinating way to do that is to view the
  96   [dependency graph](https://bugs.libre-soc.org/showdependencygraph.cgi?id=1&display=web&rankdir=LR)
  97 3. After that, go ahead and take a look at the
  98    [git repositories](https://git.libre-soc.org).
  99 4. If you plan to do HDL work, you should familiarize yourself with our
 100   [[HDL_workflow]].  If you would like to help with the ASIC layout,
 101   see [[HDL_workflow/coriolis2]]
 102 5. We do have funding available (see [[nlnet]]) upon completion of issues -
 103   we are also working on procuring more funding which gets the project to
 104   nanometre scale tapeout.
 105 6. After all this, if you feel that Libre-SOC is a something
 106   that you would like to contribute to, add yourself to the
 107   [current_members](about_us) page, fill in some information about yourself,
 108   and join the mailing list and say hello.
 109
 110 Also note that you can edit this wiki.  You can experiment in the [[Sandbox]].
 111
 112 ## Quick peek at the code
 113
 114 Here is an example process of how to play with the soc code:
 115
 116     pip3 install virtualenv requests
 117     mkdir ~/.virtualenvs && cd ~/.virtualenvs
 118     python3 -m venv libresoc
 119     source ~/.virtualenvs/libresoc/bin/activate
 120
 121     cd ~; mkdir libresoc; cd libresoc
 122     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/nmutil.git
 123     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/ieee754fpu.git
 124     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/soc.git
 125
 126     cd nmutil; make install; cd ..
 127     cd ieee754fpu; make install; cd ..
 128     cd soc; make gitupdate; make install; cd ..
 129
 130     python3 soc/src/soc/decoder/power_decoder.py
 131     yosys -p "read_ilang decoder.il; show dec31"
 132
 133 ## How can I learn?
 134
 135 The whole purpose of this project is to be a learning environment as well
 136 as an actual business.  If you want to learn how to do ASIC design, with
 137 a view to contributing or starting your own ASIC business, start here:
 138 [[3d_gpu/tutorial]]. Yes, really: do not let anyone tell you that you
 139 can't learn this stuff too.
 140
 141 Along the way, if you find any [[resources]] or links that you found
 142 particularly helpful, please add them to that page so that other people
 143 can also benefit (and you have a place to remember them, too).
 144
 145 ## Needed Skills
 146
 147 Most labor is currently being applied to developing the GPU portion of
 148 the Libre-SOC.
 149
 150 Our highest priority short-term and medium-term: we need HDL engineers.
 151 Particularly those familiar
 152 with nMigen or just python.  Most of the techniques being used require
 153 software engineering skills (OO design, polymorphism) than they do more
 154 traditional HDL programming skills. Basically if you have experience in 2
 155 of the following you'll do fine: python, nmigen, verilog/VHDL/gate-level
 156 design. See [[HDL_workflow]]
 157
 158 We also need to find a c++ engineer with compiler experience to work on
 159 a MESA 3D driver. This will begin life similar to SwiftShader however
 160 retaining the vectorisation and predication intrinsics as well as hardware
 161 accelerated opcodes (all of which SwiftShader lacks)
 162
 163 Also, individuals with experience in formal mathematical verification
 164 are quite welcome.
 165
 166 # Documentation
 167
 168  - [Source Code](/Documentation/index)
 169  - [Architecture](3d_gpu/architecture)