Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
On Mon, 2021-04-12 at 12:46 -0700, Chris Marusich wrote: > Hi, > > Chris Marusich writes: > > > This is the final draft, I think. I intend to commit it to the > > "posts" > > directory in guix-artwork on Monday morning, USA time, at which > > point I > > believe it will automatically show up on the blog. > > I have published it in commit > 0129dd529347bfefee96644ac9fbabc29adbe772. > Thank you again to everyone for your help! > Awesome! I also sent an email to Micheal from Phoronix earlier, but it seems they either didnt take it into account or didnt see it for now. Léo signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
Hi, Chris Marusich writes: > This is the final draft, I think. I intend to commit it to the "posts" > directory in guix-artwork on Monday morning, USA time, at which point I > believe it will automatically show up on the blog. I have published it in commit 0129dd529347bfefee96644ac9fbabc29adbe772. Thank you again to everyone for your help! -- Chris signature.asc Description: PGP signature
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
Hi, This is the final draft, I think. I intend to commit it to the "posts" directory in guix-artwork on Monday morning, USA time, at which point I believe it will automatically show up on the blog. Thank you again for your help, everyone! If you see any last-minute typos, please do let me know. -- Chris From e4300631958b75d996b9b57c595e74539da5f938 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Chris Marusich Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2021 00:10:35 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] website: drafts: Add powerpc64le-linux announcement. * website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md: New file. --- .../drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md| 405 ++ 1 file changed, 405 insertions(+) create mode 100644 website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md diff --git a/website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md b/website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md new file mode 100644 index 000..18f3fc4 --- /dev/null +++ b/website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md @@ -0,0 +1,405 @@ +title: New Supported Platform: powerpc64le-linux +date: 2021-04-12 00:00 +author: Chris Marusich and Léo Le Bouter +tags: porting, powerpc64le, bootstrapping, cross-compilation, reproducibility +--- + +It is a pleasure to announce that support for powerpc64le-linux +(PowerISA v.2.07 and later) has now been +[merged](https://issues.guix.gnu.org/47182) to the master branch of +GNU Guix! + +This means that GNU Guix can be used immediately on this platform +[from a Git +checkout](https://guix.gnu.org/manual/en/html_node/Building-from-Git.html). +Starting with the next release (Guix v1.2.1), you will also be able to +[download a copy of Guix pre-built for +powerpc64le-linux](https://guix.gnu.org/manual/en/html_node/Binary-Installation.html#Binary-Installation). +Regardless of how you get it, you can run the new powerpc64le-linux +port of GNU Guix on top of any existing powerpc64le GNU/Linux +distribution. + +This new platform is available as a "technology preview". This means +that although it is supported, +[substitutes](https://guix.gnu.org/manual/en/html_node/Substitutes.html) +are not yet available from the build farm, and some packages may fail +to build. Although powerpc64le-linux support is nascent, the Guix +community is actively working on improving it, and this is a great +time to [get +involved](https://guix.gnu.org/manual/en/html_node/Contributing.html)! + +### Why Is This Important? + +This is important because it means that GNU Guix now works on the +[Talos II, Talos II Lite, and Blackbird +mainboards](https://www.raptorcs.com/content/base/products.html) sold +by [Raptor Computing Systems](https://www.raptorcs.com/). This +modern, performant hardware uses [IBM +POWER9](https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/POWER9) processors, and it is +designed to respect your freedom. The Talos II and Talos II Lite have +[recently received Respects Your Freedom (RYF) +certification](https://www.fsf.org/news/talos-ii-mainboard-and-talos-ii-lite-mainboard-now-fsf-certified-to-respect-your-freedom) +from the FSF, and Raptor Computing Systems is currently pursuing RYF +certification for the more affordable Blackbird, too. All of this +hardware [can run without any non-free +code](https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/Platform_Comparison), even the +bootloader and firmware. In other words, this is a freedom-friendly +hardware platform that aligns well with GNU Guix's commitment to +software freedom. + +How is this any different from existing RYF hardware, you might ask? +One reason is performance. The existing RYF +[laptops](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=1=All_by=created_order=DESC), +[mainboards](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=5=All_by=created_order=DESC), +and +[workstations](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=30=All_by=created_order=DESC) +can only really be used with Intel Core Duo or AMD Opteron processors. +Those processors were released over 15 years ago. Since then, +processor performance has increased drastically. People should not +have to choose between performance and freedom, but for many years +that is exactly what we were forced to do. However, the POWER9 +machines sold by Raptor Computing Systems have changed this: the free +software community now has an RYF-certified option that [can compete +with the performance of modern Intel and AMD +systems](https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article=power9-threadripper-core9=1). + +Although the performance of POWER9 processors is competitive with +modern Intel and AMD processors, the real advantage of the Talos II, +Talos II Lite, and Blackbird is that they were designed from the start +to respect your freedom. Modern processors from [both Intel and AMD +include back +doors](https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/the-management-engine-an-attack-on-computer-users-freedom) +over which you are given no control. Even though the back doors can +be removed [with significant effort on older hardware in some
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
Hi Tobias, Thank you very much for taking the time to review the blog post! Tobias Platen writes: > On Fri, 09 Apr 2021 00:59:44 +0200 > Léo Le Bouter wrote: > >> On Thu, 2021-04-08 at 09:37 -0700, Chris Marusich wrote: >> > They also say in that Twitter thread: "We have been putting together >> > our >> > systems from blob-free components only (sans NIC as is known and >> > being >> > actively worked), and this is an area where no low-cost blob-free >> > silicon is available right now." >> > >> >> I've been using the Free Software firmware replacement for the NIC >> since a while now and it's working great: >> https://github.com/meklort/bcm5719-fw/ > > I've install that firmware on my Talos II and I can confirm that it works. > I have reviewed 0001-website-drafts-Add-powerpc64le-linux-announcement.patch > and it looks good. > It would be good to mention the Libre-SoC project(https://libre-soc.org/), > which might be a good target for the future. I think that project is interesting, but I don't think I'll add a section expliclty mentioning it in the post this time. I originally did discuss RISC-V in passing, but it felt out of place, since the focus of the blog post is really on the POWER9 support. The blog post is already quite long, so I tried to cut out what I could. I appreciate the suggestion, though. I hope that somebody will try porting to Libre-SoC as well, and RISC-V, too! -- Chris signature.asc Description: PGP signature
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
On Fri, 09 Apr 2021 00:59:44 +0200 Léo Le Bouter wrote: > On Thu, 2021-04-08 at 09:37 -0700, Chris Marusich wrote: > > They also say in that Twitter thread: "We have been putting together > > our > > systems from blob-free components only (sans NIC as is known and > > being > > actively worked), and this is an area where no low-cost blob-free > > silicon is available right now." > > > > I've been using the Free Software firmware replacement for the NIC > since a while now and it's working great: > https://github.com/meklort/bcm5719-fw/ I've install that firmware on my Talos II and I can confirm that it works. I have reviewed 0001-website-drafts-Add-powerpc64le-linux-announcement.patch and it looks good. It would be good to mention the Libre-SoC project(https://libre-soc.org/), which might be a good target for the future. Tobias -- Sent from my IBM 7094
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
On Thu, 2021-04-08 at 09:37 -0700, Chris Marusich wrote: > They also say in that Twitter thread: "We have been putting together > our > systems from blob-free components only (sans NIC as is known and > being > actively worked), and this is an area where no low-cost blob-free > silicon is available right now." > I've been using the Free Software firmware replacement for the NIC since a while now and it's working great: https://github.com/meklort/bcm5719-fw/ signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
Hello, On Thu, Apr 8, 2021 at 6:37 PM Chris Marusich wrote: > I specifically avoided speaking about the Blackbird, only because it's > not yet RYF-certified. However, perhaps I'm being too strict about it. Ah, yes, I forgot about this detail. I'd have chosen the blackbird myself, for the same reasons. But it's still a bit pricey for me though. I'd say you can talk about it, the way you proposed, as there's a high probability that it will get the certification. -- Vincent Legoll
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
Vincent Legoll writes: > Why only speaking of Talos and not about the 3rd option: the blackbird ? > Maybe just concentrate on the vendor, more than on particular models... I specifically avoided speaking about the Blackbird, only because it's not yet RYF-certified. However, perhaps I'm being too strict about it. I actually own a Blackbird, myself. I chose to buy it instead of the Talos II or Talos II Lite because of its physically smaller form factor and its lower cost. I don't know why it isn't RYF-certified yet, but according to this Phoronix article, they are "pursuing RYF certification" for Blackbird, too: https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item=FSF-RYF-Talos-II Raptor Computing Systems claims that the Blackbird is "completely blob free": https://twitter.com/RaptorCompSys/status/1048373354695208960 They also say in that Twitter thread: "We have been putting together our systems from blob-free components only (sans NIC as is known and being actively worked), and this is an area where no low-cost blob-free silicon is available right now." However, the Talos II and Blackbird both use the same NIC, so I guess that wouldn't stop it from meeting the RYF requirements: https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/Talos_II Networking: 2x GbE (Broadcom BCM5719) https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/Blackbird Networking: 3x GbE (Broadcom BCM5719) See also: https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/BCM5719 "As the BCM5719 is the only on-board device on the non-SAS Talos™ II variants to use proprietary firmware, Raptor Computing Systems has started a contest to see who can create a truly libre replacement firmware[1]. Anyone with the appropriate skill set is encouraged to take up the challenge, and contributions to this page as the device is analyzed in detail are welcomed. While the BCM5719 does, at least for now, execute proprietary firmware it is prevented from corrupting the operating system and/or other protected memory regions via the system IOMMU[2]." Thinking about this more, I think we should mention Blackbird in our blog post as a more affordable option. Let's explain that it doesn't yet have RYF certification, but the platform is very similar to the Talos II, and Raptor Computing Systems is currently pursuing RYF certification for it, too. -- Chris signature.asc Description: PGP signature
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
Hello Chris, Great blog post ! I've not seen anything more than the already reported issues. On Thu, Apr 8, 2021 at 10:55 AM Chris Marusich wrote: > Talos II and Talos II Lite Why only speaking of Talos and not about the 3rd option: the blackbird ? Maybe just concentrate on the vendor, more than on particular models... Thanks -- Vincent Legoll
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
Hi, Here's a new version of the blog post. It incorporates all the feedback so far. I've also removed the "About other freedom-friendly platforms" because it didn't seem to add much substance. I significantly rewrote the "Why Is This Important?" section, mainly because I realized that I was incorrectly and unfairly implying that POWER9 CPUs are not vulnerable to Spectre/Meltdown-style vulnerabilities. In fact, some POWER9 CPUs were found to be vulnerable, but the most recent models have been fixed. I've rewritten this section so that it focuses more on explaining why the RYF Talos II and Talos II Lite are "more free" than the popular Intel and AMD mainstays (even the older, RYF-certified models, where you still have to jump over the hurdle of removing the Intel ME or equivalent.) For details on Spectre/Meltdown on POWER9, see: https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/Speculative_Execution_Vulnerabilities_of_2018 I added a footer describing GNU Guix, as is customary on most of our blog posts. I changed the title. I also fixed various links and rephrased a few things. Anyway, if you can cast your eye over it once more, I would appreciate it. I think it's just about done! -- Chris From 4d9133e51fc666f14074c1da18bb16af0d76066f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Chris Marusich Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2021 00:10:35 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] website: drafts: Add powerpc64le-linux announcement. * website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md: New file. --- .../drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md| 389 ++ 1 file changed, 389 insertions(+) create mode 100644 website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md diff --git a/website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md b/website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md new file mode 100644 index 000..d2104aa --- /dev/null +++ b/website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md @@ -0,0 +1,389 @@ +title: New Supported Platform: powerpc64le-linux +date: 2021-04-08 00:00 +author: Chris Marusich and Léo Le Bouter +tags: porting, powerpc64le, bootstrapping, cross-compilation, reproducibility +--- + +It is a pleasure to announce that support for powerpc64le-linux +(PowerISA v.2.07 and later) has now been +[merged](https://issues.guix.gnu.org/47182) to the master branch of +GNU Guix! + +This means that GNU Guix can be used immediately on this platform from +a [from a Git +checkout](https://guix.gnu.org/manual/en/html_node/Building-from-Git.html). +Starting with the next release (Guix v1.2.1), you will also be able to +[download a copy of Guix pre-built for +powerpc64le-linux](https://guix.gnu.org/manual/en/html_node/Binary-Installation.html#Binary-Installation). +Regardless of how you get it, you can run the new powerpc64le-linux +port of GNU Guix on top of any existing powerpc64le GNU/Linux +distribution. + +This new platform is available as a "technology preview". This means +that although it is supported, +[substitutes](https://guix.gnu.org/manual/en/html_node/Substitutes.html) +are not yet available from the build farm, and some packages may fail +to build. Although powerpc64le-linux support is nascent, the Guix +community is actively working on improving it, and this is a great +time to [get +involved](https://guix.gnu.org/manual/en/html_node/Contributing.html)! + +### Why Is This Important? + +This is important because it means that GNU Guix now works on the +[Talos II and Talos II Lite +mainboards](https://www.fsf.org/news/talos-ii-mainboard-and-talos-ii-lite-mainboard-now-fsf-certified-to-respect-your-freedom), +which use [IBM POWER9 +processors](https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/POWER9). This is a modern, +performant hardware platform that has recently received [Respects Your +Freedom (RYF) certification](https://ryf.fsf.org/) from the FSF. It +can run without any non-free code, all the way down to its bootloader +and firmware. In other words, it's a freedom-friendly platform that +aligns well with GNU Guix's commitment to software freedom. + +How is this any different from existing RYF hardware, you might ask? +One reason is performance. The existing RYF +[laptops](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=1=All_by=created_order=DESC), +[mainboards](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=5=All_by=created_order=DESC), +and +[workstations](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=30=All_by=created_order=DESC) +can only really be used with Intel Core Duo or AMD Opteron processors. +Those processors were released over 15 years ago. Since then, +processor performance has increased drastically. People should not +have to choose between performance and freedom, but for many years +that is exactly what we were forced to do. However, the Talos II and +Talos II Lite have changed this: the free software community now has +an RYF-certified option that [can compete with the performance of +modern Intel and AMD +systems](https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article=power9-threadripper-core9=1). + +Although the performance of POWER9 processors is competitive with
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
Hi Léo, Léo Le Bouter writes: > It's been mostly you here Chris, thank you so much for writing it, as > others said, it is really beautifully written! Unfortunately I havent > felt enough peace of mind to write like you did :-( You've been busy! It's totally understandable. The encouragement from you and others has been very useful and motivating for me, so thank you. > I would've liked to write about the early days where I met some > problems with the core-updates branch having to rebase several times > and learning GNU Guix at the same time since my first ever project > related to GNU Guix was porting before even trying to use it elsewhere. > Having to learn the GNU commit message guidelines, then learning git- > send-email and GNU Emacs (since that's where all dev tools are), all > that to contribute to GNU Guix and get this port in. Aaaahh very long > story! I agree. Those are interesting topics. I tried to include some discussion about it, but the post became too lengthy. I just want it to be about the new support, mainly, and why it's exciting. I think that the following related topics would make good candidates for future blog posts: - An analysis of trust in Guix, with an eye towards bootstrapping. If you use substitutes, what are you implicitly trusting? If you build without substitutes, what are you implicitly trusting? If you build Guix from source without using Guix, like you have to do when you first port Guix to a new platform, what are you trusting? A comparison of similar paths of trust when using other software. Make a script to find out if there are any forgotten "bootstrap roots" beyond the bootstrap binaries, like there apparently used to be for some self-hosted compilers (see: https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2015-02/msg00814.html). Stuff like that. I think it is not obvious. - An analysis of the hurdles / friction involved in contributing. Preferably with suggestions for ways to remove the hurdles and reduce friction. It is easy to complain or bikeshed, of course, but the point is not to do that. The point is to discuss issues to try and make things better. Thank you again for your help! This is just the beginning - let's keep hacking away at it and improving POWER9 support together! Hopefully others will see the benefits of the platform and join us along the way. -- Chris signature.asc Description: PGP signature
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
Hi Joshua, Joshua Branson writes: > Awesome! Great work! I read the below draft blog post like a Harry > Potter novel! It is superbly written. And it makes a lot of sense! Thank you for the kind words, and your feedback! >> +### Why Is This Important? >> + >> +This is important because it means that GNU Guix now works on the [RYF >> +Talos II and Talos II Lite >> +mainboards](https://www.fsf.org/news/talos-ii-mainboard-and-talos-ii-lite-mainboard-now-fsf-certified-to-respect-your-freedom) >> +and it's IBM POWER9 processor. This is a modern, performant hardware > > I believe you should use "its". it's is short for "it is". Good catch! >> +platform that respects your freedom. It can run without any non-free >> +code, all the way down to its bootloader and firmware. It's a >> +freedom-friendly platform that aligns well with GNU Guix's commitment >> +to software freedom. >> + >> +How is this any different from existing RYF hardware, you might ask? >> +The existing RYF >> +[laptops](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=1=All_by=created_order=DESC), >> +[mainboards](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=5=All_by=created_order=DESC), >> +and >> +[workstations](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=30=All_by=created_order=DESC) >> +can only really be used with Intel Core Duo or AMD Opteron processors. >> +Those processors were released over 15 years ago. Since then, >> +processor performance has increased drastically. People should not >> +have to choose between performance and freedom, but the fact is that >> +for many years, that is exactly what we were forced to do. However, >> +the Talos II and Talos II Lite have changed this: the free software >> +community now has an RYF-certified option that can compete with the >> +performance of modern Intel and AMD systems. >> + >> +Although the performance of POWER9 processors is competitive with >> +modern Intel and AMD processors, its real advantage is that it< > > Why is there "it<" ? Is that some markup I'm not familiar with? Nope, it's a typo. Good eyes! >> +respects your freedom. Modern processors from [both Intel and AMD >> +include back >> +doors](https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/the-management-engine-an-attack-on-computer-users-freedom) >> +over which you are given no control. Additionally, hardware design >> +defects in the processors of both vendors have been discovered, giving >> +rise to critical security vulnerabilities like >> +[Spectre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectre_(security_vulnerability)) >> +and >> +[Meltdown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meltdown_(security_vulnerability)). >> +In many cases, these vulnerabilities can only be fixed by installing >> +[non-free CPU microcode](https://wiki.debian.org/Microcode) - unless, >> +of course, [the vendor decides not to provide any fix at >> +all](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/04/intel-drops-plans-to-develop-spectre-microcode-for-ancient-chips/)! >> + >> +Compared to that, the RYF Talos II and Talos II Lite are a breath of >> +fresh air that the free software community really deserves. Raptor >> +Computing Systems' commitment to software freedom and owner control is >> +an inspiring reminder that it **is** possible to ship a great product >> +that respects the freedom of your customers. And going forward, the >> +future looks bright for the open, royalty-free Power ISA, [which is >> +now a Linux Foundation >> +project](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press-release/2019/08/the-linux-foundation-announces-new-open-hardware-technologies-and-collaboration/) >> +(see also: [the same announcement from The OpenPOWER >> +Foundation](https://openpowerfoundation.org/the-next-step-in-the-openpower-foundation-journey/). >> + >> + >> +In Guix, all software for a given system (e.g., powerpc64le-linux) is >> +built starting from its bootstrap binaries. It is intended that the >> +bootstrap binaries are the only pieces of software in the entire >> +package collection that Guix cannot build from source. In practice, >> +[additional bootstrap roots are >> +possible](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2015-02/msg00814.html), >> +but introducing them in Guix is highly discouraged, and our community >> +[actively](https://guix.gnu.org/en/blog/2019/guix-reduces-bootstrap-seed-by-50/) >> +[works](https://guix.gnu.org/en/blog/2020/guix-further-reduces-bootstrap-seed-to-25/) >> +to [reduce](https://guix.gnu.org/en/blog/2018/bootstrapping-rust/) our >> +overall bootstrap footprint. >> + >> +So first you need to build the the bootstrap binaries for your > > "the the" --> "the" Fixed! >> +platform. In theory, you can do this in many ways. For example, you >> +might try to manually compile them on an existing system. However, >> +Guix has [package >> +definitions](https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/tree/gnu/packages/make-bootstrap.scm?id=5d8c2c00d60196c46a32b68c618ccbe2b3aa48f4) >> +that you can use to build them - using Guix, of course! >> >> +In both the big-endian
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
On Tue, 2021-04-06 at 00:15 -0700, Chris Marusich wrote: > Hi, > > Léo and I have drafted the following blog post. Could you take a few > minutes to read it and give us your thoughts? > > It's a work in progress. The primary goal is to announce the new > powerpc64le-linux support and explain why it matters (POWER9 is an > exciting, freedom-friendly platform!). The secondary goal is to > explain > some of the details about what we did, and invite people to get > involved. > > Your feedback would be highly appreciated! > It's been mostly you here Chris, thank you so much for writing it, as others said, it is really beautifully written! Unfortunately I havent felt enough peace of mind to write like you did :-( I would've liked to write about the early days where I met some problems with the core-updates branch having to rebase several times and learning GNU Guix at the same time since my first ever project related to GNU Guix was porting before even trying to use it elsewhere. Having to learn the GNU commit message guidelines, then learning git- send-email and GNU Emacs (since that's where all dev tools are), all that to contribute to GNU Guix and get this port in. Aaaahh very long story! Léo signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part
Re: Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
Awesome! Great work! I read the below draft blog post like a Harry Potter novel! It is superbly written. And it makes a lot of sense! Chris Marusich writes: > Hi, > > Léo and I have drafted the following blog post. Could you take a few > minutes to read it and give us your thoughts? > > It's a work in progress. The primary goal is to announce the new > powerpc64le-linux support and explain why it matters (POWER9 is an > exciting, freedom-friendly platform!). The secondary goal is to explain > some of the details about what we did, and invite people to get > involved. > > Your feedback would be highly appreciated! > > -- > Chris Seriously good job on this blog post, and all involved in the powerPC porting work! Fabulous job chaps! Cheerio! Also below are my tiny edits: > + > +### Why Is This Important? > + > +This is important because it means that GNU Guix now works on the [RYF > +Talos II and Talos II Lite > +mainboards](https://www.fsf.org/news/talos-ii-mainboard-and-talos-ii-lite-mainboard-now-fsf-certified-to-respect-your-freedom) > +and it's IBM POWER9 processor. This is a modern, performant hardware I believe you should use "its". it's is short for "it is". > +platform that respects your freedom. It can run without any non-free > +code, all the way down to its bootloader and firmware. It's a > +freedom-friendly platform that aligns well with GNU Guix's commitment > +to software freedom. > + > +How is this any different from existing RYF hardware, you might ask? > +The existing RYF > +[laptops](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=1=All_by=created_order=DESC), > +[mainboards](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=5=All_by=created_order=DESC), > +and > +[workstations](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=30=All_by=created_order=DESC) > +can only really be used with Intel Core Duo or AMD Opteron processors. > +Those processors were released over 15 years ago. Since then, > +processor performance has increased drastically. People should not > +have to choose between performance and freedom, but the fact is that > +for many years, that is exactly what we were forced to do. However, > +the Talos II and Talos II Lite have changed this: the free software > +community now has an RYF-certified option that can compete with the > +performance of modern Intel and AMD systems. > + > +Although the performance of POWER9 processors is competitive with > +modern Intel and AMD processors, its real advantage is that it< Why is there "it<" ? Is that some markup I'm not familiar with? > +respects your freedom. Modern processors from [both Intel and AMD > +include back > +doors](https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/the-management-engine-an-attack-on-computer-users-freedom) > +over which you are given no control. Additionally, hardware design > +defects in the processors of both vendors have been discovered, giving > +rise to critical security vulnerabilities like > +[Spectre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectre_(security_vulnerability)) > +and > +[Meltdown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meltdown_(security_vulnerability)). > +In many cases, these vulnerabilities can only be fixed by installing > +[non-free CPU microcode](https://wiki.debian.org/Microcode) - unless, > +of course, [the vendor decides not to provide any fix at > +all](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/04/intel-drops-plans-to-develop-spectre-microcode-for-ancient-chips/)! > + > +Compared to that, the RYF Talos II and Talos II Lite are a breath of > +fresh air that the free software community really deserves. Raptor > +Computing Systems' commitment to software freedom and owner control is > +an inspiring reminder that it **is** possible to ship a great product > +that respects the freedom of your customers. And going forward, the > +future looks bright for the open, royalty-free Power ISA, [which is > +now a Linux Foundation > +project](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press-release/2019/08/the-linux-foundation-announces-new-open-hardware-technologies-and-collaboration/) > +(see also: [the same announcement from The OpenPOWER > +Foundation](https://openpowerfoundation.org/the-next-step-in-the-openpower-foundation-journey/). > + > + > +In Guix, all software for a given system (e.g., powerpc64le-linux) is > +built starting from its bootstrap binaries. It is intended that the > +bootstrap binaries are the only pieces of software in the entire > +package collection that Guix cannot build from source. In practice, > +[additional bootstrap roots are > +possible](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2015-02/msg00814.html), > +but introducing them in Guix is highly discouraged, and our community > +[actively](https://guix.gnu.org/en/blog/2019/guix-reduces-bootstrap-seed-by-50/) > +[works](https://guix.gnu.org/en/blog/2020/guix-further-reduces-bootstrap-seed-to-25/) > +to [reduce](https://guix.gnu.org/en/blog/2018/bootstrapping-rust/) our > +overall bootstrap footprint. > + > +So first you need to build the the bootstrap
Please review blog post draft: powerpc64le-linux support
Hi, Léo and I have drafted the following blog post. Could you take a few minutes to read it and give us your thoughts? It's a work in progress. The primary goal is to announce the new powerpc64le-linux support and explain why it matters (POWER9 is an exciting, freedom-friendly platform!). The secondary goal is to explain some of the details about what we did, and invite people to get involved. Your feedback would be highly appreciated! -- Chris From 8900d918106f6a70b20df461c5f086b5275773cc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Chris Marusich Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2021 00:10:35 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] website: drafts: Add powerpc64le-linux announcement. * website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md: New file. --- .../drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md| 326 ++ 1 file changed, 326 insertions(+) create mode 100644 website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md diff --git a/website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md b/website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md new file mode 100644 index 000..e3de5ba --- /dev/null +++ b/website/drafts/new-system-powerpc64le-linux.md @@ -0,0 +1,326 @@ +title: powerpc64le-linux support in GNU Guix +date: 2021-03-26 00:00 +author: Chris Marusich and Léo Le Bouter +tags: porting, powerpc64le +--- + +It is a pleasure to announce that support for powerpc64le-linux +(PowerISA v.2.07 and later) has now been +[merged](https://issues.guix.gnu.org/47182) to the master branch of +GNU Guix! + +This means that GNU Guix can be used immediately on this platform from +a [from a Git +checkout](https://guix.gnu.org/manual/en/html_node/Building-from-Git.html). +Starting with the next release (Guix v1.2.1), you will also be able to +[download a copy of Guix pre-built for +powerpc64le-linux](https://guix.gnu.org/manual/en/guix.html#Binary-Installation). +Regardless of how you get it, you can run the new powerpc64le-linux +port of GNU Guix on top of any existing powerpc64le GNU/Linux +distribution. + +This new platform is available as a "technology preview". This means +that although it is supported, substitutes are not yet available from +the build farm, and some packages may fail to build. Although +powerpc64le-linux support is nascent, the Guix community is actively +working on improving it, and this is a great time to [get +involved](https://guix.gnu.org/manual/en/html_node/Contributing.html)! + +### Why Is This Important? + +This is important because it means that GNU Guix now works on the [RYF +Talos II and Talos II Lite +mainboards](https://www.fsf.org/news/talos-ii-mainboard-and-talos-ii-lite-mainboard-now-fsf-certified-to-respect-your-freedom) +and it's IBM POWER9 processor. This is a modern, performant hardware +platform that respects your freedom. It can run without any non-free +code, all the way down to its bootloader and firmware. It's a +freedom-friendly platform that aligns well with GNU Guix's commitment +to software freedom. + +How is this any different from existing RYF hardware, you might ask? +The existing RYF +[laptops](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=1=All_by=created_order=DESC), +[mainboards](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=5=All_by=created_order=DESC), +and +[workstations](https://ryf.fsf.org/products?category=30=All_by=created_order=DESC) +can only really be used with Intel Core Duo or AMD Opteron processors. +Those processors were released over 15 years ago. Since then, +processor performance has increased drastically. People should not +have to choose between performance and freedom, but the fact is that +for many years, that is exactly what we were forced to do. However, +the Talos II and Talos II Lite have changed this: the free software +community now has an RYF-certified option that can compete with the +performance of modern Intel and AMD systems. + +Although the performance of POWER9 processors is competitive with +modern Intel and AMD processors, its real advantage is that it< +respects your freedom. Modern processors from [both Intel and AMD +include back +doors](https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/the-management-engine-an-attack-on-computer-users-freedom) +over which you are given no control. Additionally, hardware design +defects in the processors of both vendors have been discovered, giving +rise to critical security vulnerabilities like +[Spectre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectre_(security_vulnerability)) +and +[Meltdown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meltdown_(security_vulnerability)). +In many cases, these vulnerabilities can only be fixed by installing +[non-free CPU microcode](https://wiki.debian.org/Microcode) - unless, +of course, [the vendor decides not to provide any fix at +all](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/04/intel-drops-plans-to-develop-spectre-microcode-for-ancient-chips/)! + +Compared to that, the RYF Talos II and Talos II Lite are a breath of +fresh air that the free software community really deserves. Raptor +Computing Systems' commitment to software freedom and owner
