D 2017-12-16T07:24:06.454
L Protection
N text/x-markdown
U kc5tja
W 1365
# Will the Kestrel-3 Family Run a Protected OS, such as Linux, BSD, or Plan 9?
I doubt the very first model will.
The FPGAs I'm targeting are relatively small by RISC-V processor standards.
I doubt they'll be large enough to contain an MMU-enabled core with FPU *and*
all the bits needed to make the rest of the Kestrel-3 work.
If, however, by some miracle I'm able to fit
an MMU-equipped Rocket-compatible core onto the FPGAs accessible to me,
this would of course accelerate the effort to get a "real" OS working!
Otherwise, *eventually*, yes;
I intend that a suitably expanded Kestrel-3 be able to run
Linux, BSD, or a port of Plan-9.
What does "suitably expanded" mean?
Hopefully, in the not too distant future,
I can build a Kestrel-3 computer using a commercial RISC-V processor;
or, maybe someone can make a CPU plug-in card to serve as an adjunct CPU
to the core residing in the FPGA.
Options exist, and will be evaluated when the time is right.
**Regardless, I will not invest the effort to perform the port myself.**
Porting these operating systems is a *huge* undertaking,
requiring substantially more effort
than it takes to design the computer in the first place.
Hopefully, though, a community will have evolved around the Kestrel-3 family,
and if someone's willing, they'll undertake or coordinate the task of porting.
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