HyperForum — About architectures: is x86 the only choice?

Re: About architectures: is x86 the only choice?

2026-06-25T00:54:11Z

Yes, therefore we will not add any other architecture and the ones left in HyperBK for HyperbolaBSD are there for possible future developments, pure experimental. The major focus stays x86. Thread closed, thanks for the input bemc.

Re: About architectures: is x86 the only choice?

2026-06-17T11:47:35Z

Lemote had their days, not available anymore. It makes little sense to put resources on the support of such a niche.
Even ARM: weeks ago I was listening Gaël Duval talking about the amount of resources he needs to support ARM devices comparing to x86.
Even MNT needs to deliver blobs.

Re: About architectures: is x86 the only choice?

2026-06-16T20:01:51Z

Do you relate to Hyperbola? If so: We do not offer any other architecture as we do not have neither the resources (money included) nor the people and help doing so. It is impossible to manage many architectures and unrealistic as small system-project. Besides: There is no real libre CPU-architecture and always some kind of cave-eat to accept. So x86-architecture is the best to stick on as there are Coreboot and derivates, further firmware-projects. In the end there is always some kind of an issue. But there is also a formula: The newer it gets the more problematic it will be.

We can surely debate on and off, but searching endless for the "most libre hardware" is not helping anyone further when the software is that much of problematic already and free software have many issues and foul compromises already.

About architectures: is x86 the only choice?

2026-06-16T14:39:29Z

X86 is not a libre-friendly standard. Recent i686/x86_64 CPUs mostly have nonfree firmware like Intel IME.

LoongArch is an alternative choice to x86. It is a clean, libre-friendly RISC architecture with good performance.

It has no nonfree firmware shipped by the CPU by default, and the official PMON and UEFI are both libre.