| At FOSDEM 2026, DeepComputing Founder and CEO Yuning Liang presented in the Kernel track on a topic that sits at the intersection of hardware innovation and open-source collaboration: pre-silicon kernel upstream enablement for RISC-V. The session explored how developers can begin upstreaming Linux kernel support before hardware is physically available, reducing time-to-market and improving ecosystem readiness when new silicon platforms launch. |  |
Traditionally, kernel enablement begins after silicon becomes available. This approach often creates delays:
For fast-moving ecosystems like RISC-V, this model is increasingly inefficient.
Pre-silicon upstreaming aims to reverse that process — enabling kernel support during chip development rather than after.
This approach helps ensure that when hardware ships, Linux support is already mature or close to upstream acceptance.
RISC-V is uniquely suited to pre-silicon development because of its openness and flexibility.
Developers can leverage:
This allows kernel engineers to begin work earlier than would be possible on many proprietary architectures.
The talk highlighted how this capability can significantly accelerate ecosystem progress.
Despite the advantages, pre-silicon upstreaming introduces its own technical challenges, including:
Addressing these challenges requires strong collaboration and careful engineering discipline.
A major theme of the session was the importance of upstream-first development.
Rather than building large downstream codebases, early collaboration with kernel maintainers helps:
This philosophy aligns closely with the broader RISC-V ecosystem approach, where openness and collaboration drive progress.
