Re: [9fans] Raspberry Pi image

[erik quanstrom <quanstro@quanstro.net>]

On Wed Feb 19 05:16:16 EST 2014, edgecomberts@gmail.com wrote:

> So the "trade secret" thing explains why you don't see a port of Plan 9 for
> every new and exciting device and board that comes out. It is a shame, but
> these companies producing things like the GPUs in ARM devices insist on
> proprietary licences.

unfortunately, a port is still a big time commitment even with all the docs.
they get big, and you have to load a large amount of esoteric state into your
brain.  and debugging the early stages takes esoteric skills.  a frequent problem
is trying to debug the inital boot, since most of the easy debugging tools like
print are often not available.

> As far as I can tell, the i.MX6 chip from Freescale is about as open as you
> can get, I'm just trying to remember where someone said it had an over
> 1,000 page manual for the chip, and I'm hoping its not this very list,
> otherwise I will look like a fool! The i.MX6, for that "openness" reason
> has been a chip I've been meaning to get, and never gotten around to. The
> UDOO board has the chip, and integrates an Arduino Due along for the ride.
> Its reasonably cheap too, although availability is not something I've
> looked at in a little while, and being one of those Kickstarter things, I
> don't think availability is a priority past shipping them to backers.

i think you're right, but i've run across devices which shall remain nameless
which claim open source documentation, but when you check there docs
against the linux driver you see they have nothing in common.

cavet emptor.

- erik