# Intro
-Several things in this update: the OpenPower Foundation released their EULA;
-RISC-V Foundation opens access to *some* mailing lists;
-we had a last-minute decision to go to FOSDEM to meet NLNet; we have new
-team members helping out and making really good progress.
+Several things in this update: the OpenPower Foundation released their
+EULA (which is really exciting); RISC-V Foundation opens access to
+*some* mailing lists (but doesn't tackle the important stuff); we had
+a last-minute decision to go to FOSDEM to meet NLNet (and meet lots
+of nice people including someone from the EU Commission); we have new team
+members helping out (and making really good progress).
# OpenPOWER Foundation releases the Power ISA EULA
and would appreciate feedback on it, via
[this bugreport](http://bugs.libre-riscv.org/show_bug.cgi?id=179).
A very quick read (like, right now): the really interesting bit is the
-combination of a royalty-free grant in combination with "if you initiate
+combination of a royalty-free grant (as long as you are fully
+compliant with Power ISA) in combination with "if you initiate
patent litigation, you lose all rights immediately". This provides an
extremely strong disincentive for patent trolls to "try it on". It also
actively encourages contributors to make sure that their work becomes an
# RISC-V Mailing Lists
+By complete contrast to how OpenPower is being managed...
+
Since the last update, some of the RISC-V Mailing lists have become "open".
There was no announcement. You can't get access to the prior archives.
Critically important lists - such as the UNIX Platform Working Group -
Still, they're finally making an effort.
They still have not responded (as is legally required under their Trademark
-obligations) to any of the twenty to thirty reasonable in-good-faith
-requests for inclusion of Libre Businesses with "full transparency"
-as part of their business objectives.
+obligations) to any of the twenty to thirty very deliberately public,
+prominent, and reasonable in-good-faith
+requests for inclusion in the *innovation* of RISC-V (not just its
+"use", its **innovation**) by Libre Businesses with "full transparency"
+as part of their core business objectives.
Failing to allow public participation in the UNIX WG is particularly
damaging to RISC-V's reputation. Telling u-boot and linux kernel developers
real-world infrastructure for the benefit of EU Citizens (and incidentally
the rest of the world) is a bit of an eye-opener.
-Also it was fantastic to meet Staf, and talk to him about the upcoming
+I had a brief chat with the person from the EU Commission. He was
+delighted to be able to see the sheer number of people involved and being
+sponsored by NLNet. I had an opportunity to ask him about the anti-trust
+aspects of the RISC-V Foundation's ongoing intransigent behaviour.
+He initially expressed puzzlement and some concern, because the EU is
+funding quite a lot of RISC-V projects, and none of them had any issues.
+I asked him a very simple question: "how many of those projects are
+simply *implementing* existing RISC-V Standards?", and he replied, "all
+of them". I then asked, "how many of those projects are *innovating*,
+developing alternative extensions to what is dictated by the RISC-V
+Foundation?" With the answer being "none", *that* was the point at which
+he understood the extent of the problem, and how the RISC-V Foundation -
+and its members - are at risk of violating EU anti-trust legislation.
+
+oops.
+
+# Meeting other LibreSOC people
+
+It was fantastic to meet Staf, and talk to him about the upcoming
test chip that he'll be doing. He will be including an SR-Latch cell for
-us, because it saves such a vast number of gates. There were several other
+us, because it saves such a vast number of gates in the Dependency
+Matrices if we use a D-Flip-Flop: 50,000 gates if we use an SR-Latch,
+and a *quarter of a million* if we use a DFF.
+
+There were several other
people we met, including one who can help us to develop a
[BSP](http://bugs.libre-riscv.org/show_bug.cgi?id=164) (Board Support Package).
+Also we got a chance to talk to several other people with cross-over skillsets.
+
+This alone was worth the time to go to FOSDEM, this year. Now what
+we have to do is make sure to plan properly in advance, to put in some
+papers at appropriate conferences. We really need to organise a proper
+conference where everyone meets up.
# New members
projects / crowdsupply.git / blobdiff