this post was submitted on 08 Apr 2026
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I don't know much about it but I am all for open-source hardware.
It isn't open source hardware. It is license-free IC architecture.
The hardware will still be closed source in 99% of cases, but the architecture is "open" and can be used without licensing, lowering the barrier to entry for making CPUs (it is still very high as volume is the name of the game at fans. Tapeouts for testing a design can be €1k on the very cheap end, often more like 10K+)
A step in the right direction for sure, but open source IC designs are still quite limited.
Commercial software can outrun open source temporarily but it rarely ever wins the race.