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.
   5   </p>
   6
   7   <p>A chip with lots of peripherals. And it's a VPU.  And it's a 3D GPU...
   8   </p>
   9
  10   <p>Oh and here, have the
  11      <a href="http://git.libre-soc.org">Libre-SOC source code</a>...
  12    </p>
  13 </blockquote>
  14   <hr class="my-4">
  15
  16 <h2 class="display-5">Why should I care?</h2>
  17
  18 With Libre-SOC, you can take complex algorithms usually intended for
  19 power hungry servers with big fat GPUs, and run them on tiny devices
  20 like smartwatches, cellphones, and pocket drones without changing your
  21 code at all.
  22
  23   <hr class="my-4">
  24
  25 <h2 class="display-5">Hasn't Somebody Already Done This?</h2>
  26
  27 To the best of our knowledge, no. The closest systems would be ARM Cortex
  28 devices which currently offer mediocre GPU and OpenCL support. Often
  29 times, it is quite difficult for customers to get their hands on the
  30 drivers and install them due to their locked down nature. Libre-SOC is
  31 providing our own Free/Libre drivers. Easy as 1, 2, 3!
  32
  33   <hr class="my-4">
  34
  35 <h2 class="display-5">Does Open Hardware Really Work?</h2>
  36 <p>A few names come to mind:</p>
  37
  38 <ul>
  39 <li><a href="https://www.arduino.cc">Arduino</a></li>
  40 <li><a href="https://www.raptorcs.com">Raptor Computing Systems</a></li>
  41 <li><a href="https://www.bitcraze.io">CrazyFlie</a></li>
  42 <li><a href="https://www.scopefun.com">ScopeFun</a></li>
  43 </ul>
  44
  45   <p class="lead">
  46     <a class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" href="https://libre-soc.org/why_a_libresoc/" role="button">Learn more</a>
  47
  48 </div>
  49
  50 # Our Team
  51
  52 We are proud of our talented and diverse [team](about_us)
  53 located all across the world: UK US Canada Germany Greece India
  54 Kuwait.
  55
  56 # Our sponsors and partners
  57
  58 * [NLnet](https://nlnet.nl) who have very kindly sponsored us with
  59   over EUR 550,000 in various separate grants.
  60 * [NGI POINTER](https://www.ngi.eu/ngi-projects/ngi-pointer/) who have
  61   sponsored us with a EUR 200,000 Horizon 2020 Grant.
  62 * [Mythic Beasts](http://mythic-beasts.com) who don't overcommit on
  63   their VPS allocations (no memory ballooning), and put servers on
  64   the fastest backbone Internet points.
  65 * [Purism](http://puri.sm) donates to us through [NLNet](nlnet)
  66   charitable gifting
  67 * [Raptor CS](http://raptorcs.com) has given us access to a powerful
  68   18-core 128 GB RAM TALOS II workstation, online.
  69 * [Raptor Engineering](https://raptorengineering.com) is providing
  70   additional assistance including access to an [[shakti/m_class/LPC]]
  71   interface (more to come)
  72 * [MarketNext](http://marketnext.org) is helping us connect to developer
  73   resources in Emerging markets, for completion of NLNet-funded tasks.
  74 * The [[PowerPC Notebook]] Project
  75 * [RED Semiconductor](http://redsemiconductor.com) is the commercial realisation of Libre-SOC technology that respects and actively supports Libre principles in its business objectives.
  76 * [[fed4fire]] for supercomputer access for verilator simulations,
  77   with thanks to Ghent University / IMEC.
  78
  79 # How Can I Help?
  80
  81 If you would like to fund us, see [[funding]]. We currently have some
  82 funding and always appreciate more!  If you are a Corporation or an
  83 individual you can donate tax-free to NLNet, and they can in turn gift
  84 our developers.  Contact lkcl@lkcl.net for more information.
  85
  86 # How Can I Help as a Developer? <a name="help_as_developer"></a>
  87
  88 If you want to write code with us (and receive donations from NLNet
  89 for doing so), keep reading.  If you want to *learn*
  90 so that you can write code with us, see "How can I learn" section,
  91 below.  If there is anything else,
  92 just get in touch on the list, there is plenty to do.
  93
  94 1. First, join the
  95   [mailing list](http://lists.libre-soc.org/mailman/listinfo/libre-soc-dev),
  96   introduce yourself (people will happily say "hello" back) and
  97   the Libera IRC channel
  98   (#libre-soc at irc.libera.chat port 6697, see
  99 https://libera.chat/guides/connect),
 100   it's also accessible via Libera.Chat's Matrix Bridge.
 101   [logs here](https://libre-soc.org/irclog/latest.log.html).
 102   Read through
 103   [recent posts](http://lists.libre-soc.org/pipermail/libre-soc-dev/)
 104   and the [[charter]], ask questions if you have any and let everyone know,
 105   on the list that you're happy with it and agree to it.
 106 2. The next thing you should do is read through the
 107   [bugs list](http://bugs.libre-soc.org) and
 108   see if there are any bugs that pique your interest.
 109   A fascinating way to do that is to view the
 110   [dependency graph](https://bugs.libre-soc.org/showdependencygraph.cgi?id=1&display=web&rankdir=LR)
 111 3. After that, go ahead and take a look at the
 112    [git repositories](https://git.libre-soc.org).
 113 4. If you plan to do HDL work, you should familiarize yourself with our
 114   [[HDL_workflow]].  If you would like to help with the ASIC layout,
 115   see [[HDL_workflow/coriolis2]]
 116 5. We do have funding available (see [[nlnet]]) upon completion of issues -
 117   we are also working on procuring more funding which gets the project to
 118   nanometre scale tapeout.
 119 6. After all this, if you feel that Libre-SOC is a something
 120   that you would like to contribute to, add yourself to the
 121   [current_members](about_us) page, fill in some information about yourself,
 122   and join the mailing list and say hello.
 123
 124 Also note that you can edit this wiki.  You can experiment in the [[Sandbox]].
 125
 126 ## Quick peek at the code
 127
 128 The full install process may be automated using scripts found
 129 here: <https://git.libre-soc.org/?p=dev-env-setup.git;a=summary>
 130 which you can clone with:
 131
 132     git clone https://git.libre-soc.org/git/dev-env-setup.git
 133
 134 A convenient page which gives easy step-by-step instructions is:
 135 [[HDL_workflow/devscripts]], and you can get started with a
 136 [[docs/firststeps]] tutorial.
 137
 138 ## How can I learn?
 139
 140 The whole purpose of this project is to be a learning environment as well
 141 as an actual business.  If you want to learn how to do ASIC design, with
 142 a view to contributing or starting your own ASIC business, start here:
 143 [[3d_gpu/tutorial]]. Yes, really: do not let anyone tell you that you
 144 can't learn this stuff too.
 145
 146 Along the way, if you find any [[resources]] or links that you found
 147 particularly helpful, please add them to that page so that other people
 148 can also benefit (and you have a place to remember them, too).
 149
 150 ## Needed Skills
 151
 152 Most labor is currently being applied to developing the GPU portion of
 153 the Libre-SOC.
 154
 155 Our highest priority short-term and medium-term: we need HDL engineers.
 156 Particularly those familiar
 157 with nMigen or just python.  Most of the techniques being used require
 158 software engineering skills (OO design, polymorphism) than they do more
 159 traditional HDL programming skills. Basically if you have experience in 2
 160 of the following you'll do fine: python, nmigen, verilog/VHDL/gate-level
 161 design. See [[HDL_workflow]]
 162
 163 We also need to find a c++ engineer with compiler experience to work on
 164 a MESA 3D driver. This will begin life similar to SwiftShader however
 165 retaining the vectorisation and predication intrinsics then adding
 166 hardware accelerated opcodes (all of which SwiftShader lacks)
 167
 168 Also, individuals with experience in formal mathematical verification
 169 are quite welcome.
 170
 171 # Documentation
 172
 173  - [Source Code](/docs/)
 174  - [Architecture](3d_gpu/architecture)