HKG15-101: Programming for Performance
---------------------------------------------------
Speaker: Jon "maddog" Hall
Date: February 9, 2015
---------------------------------------------------
★ Session Summary ★
The 96Boards program creates new opportunities for universities and the community to develop software and learn about advanced coding without getting tied into a single proprietary piece of hardware. maddog will discuss the requirements for success in this space.
--------------------------------------------------
★ Resources ★
Pathable: https://hkg15.pathable.com/meetings/250761
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj-keqX2xA4
Etherpad: http://pad.linaro.org/p/hkg15-101
---------------------------------------------------
★ Event Details ★
Linaro Connect Hong Kong 2015 - #HKG15
February 9-13th, 2015
Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong Airport
---------------------------------------------------
http://www.linaro.org
http://connect.linaro.org
2. Copyright Linux International 2015
2 of 21
My “Second Computer”
● PDP-8 Assembler
– 4000 12-bit
words
– Data and
Instructions
same length
● From a book
– Plenty of
practice
Nobody told me “assembly was difficult”
3. Copyright Linux International 2015
3 of 21
Digital Equipment Corportation
Users Society (DECUS)
● Library of software for the cost of copying
– Sharing of source code
● Groups of customers who designed the meetings
● Eventually devolved to DEC marketing event
– Went from two meetings per year at 19000 each
– Last meeting had 300 people, mostly DEC
4. Copyright Linux International 2015
4 of 21
DECUS In May of 1994:
New Orleans
● Linux V1.0:
– 32 Bit
– Intel (CISC)
● Convinced Linus to do
Alpha port:
– 64 bit
– Alpha RISC
I learned the power of the community
5. Copyright Linux International 2015
5 of 21
Would Closed Source Allow
Them To Do This?
● Enterprise Creator – 22
● President - 21
● Kernel Developer – 15
● Distribution Developer - 14
● Soweto Entrepreneur – 22
● Distribution Developer - 12
7. Copyright Linux International 2015
7 of 21
Many Little ARM Computers:
45 USD – 199 USD
BeagleBoneBlack Hackberry 10
ODROID-U3
OlimoX - LIME Pandaboard
8. Copyright Linux International 2015
8 of 21
How To Win
● Make ARM and Linaro everyday words
● Make ARM/Linaro and “Freedom” synonymous
– Freedom of choice
– Freedom (and ease) of information
– Freedom to use for any purpose
● Establish a “community”
– Make them feel welcome
– Listen to their ideas
– Explain your actions
– When you are wrong, admit it
9. Copyright Linux International 2015
9 of 21
Make IT Easy(er)
● “ARM for Dummies”
● Information for gratis
– Non-examples:
● Assembly language books cost ~ 80 USD
– Example:
● Assembly for RPi – 18.51 USD
● “Why can't I install an ARM system like I can an
Intel system”.....boot!
– Thanks Wookie!
10. Copyright Linux International 2015
10 of 21
Encourage Projects;
Encourage Entrepreneurship
● Examples
– Raspberry Pi Foundation
– IoT
● Research
● Contests
– Prizes include vendor boards
● Publish user projects that are “open”
11. Copyright Linux International 2015
11 of 21
Education
● Guide development of entire University
curriculums using ARM/FOSS
– Computer Engineering (Compilers, OS,
Database)
– Networking
– Systems Administration
– Embedded systems
– Graphics and GPUs
– New and unique processors (FPGAs)
● Make it easy for professors to teach it
● Use Raspberry Pi Foundation to further K-12
12. Copyright Linux International 2015
12 of 21
Universities
● Make REAL relationships with major (and
second-tier) research universities
– Cambridge, Carnigie Mellon, Berkeley,
Stanford, Columbia, etc.
– University of Sao Paulo, University of
Monterey, etc.
● Facilitate them sharing research with each other
and with Linaro/ARM
● Research with closed source is hard
13. Copyright Linux International 2015
13 of 21
Research
● Other “Open” operating systems
– TinyOS
– *BSD
– Hurd
● A “Smaller kinder kernel” (6000 lines) – USP
Sao Carlos
– Ala John Lions
● “And some of the source code has comments”
● Secure from the ground up (flashable boot ROM
or “Coreboot on SD”)
14. Copyright Linux International 2015
14 of 21
Community
● Blogs
● User groups
– Speaker's Bureau
● Youth groups at Universities
– Mentors
● Consistantly publish papers
– Encourage Engineers
– Encourage Customers (Application Abstracts)
● Community store for “signature identity items”
– Community “funds” identity items by buying them
– Partner with “Adafruit” like companies
15. Copyright Linux International 2015
15 of 21
maddog's Supercomputer
In a Briefcase
● 12 ARMv7 Cores at 1 GHz
each
● 6 GBytes of RAM
● 6 HDMI ports
● 6 SATA ports (currently
driving two disks)
● IR on board
● 2 TB SATA disk
● 8 Port Gbit ETHERNET
● 70 Watts
● Fits in standard briefcase
16. Copyright Linux International 2015
16 of 21
Why Is This Interesting?
● Can be used to teach
– HPC computing
– HA computing
– Heterogeneous computing
– Heterogeneous systems administration (including RAID)
● Very portable, can be assembled in minutes
● Relatively low power consumption (~70 Watts)
● Very modular
● Prototype cost: 500 USD
– Currently using “Banana Pi”
● Production cost: < 400 USD
– Will use (4) new “Raspberry Pi 2 Model B”
– Will increase from 12 to 20 ARMv7 cores
17. Copyright Linux International 2015
17 of 21
Why Is This Even MORE Interesting?
● Now can be used to teach
– 64-bit HPC computing
– HA computing
– 32/64 bit heterogeneous computing
– Heterogeneous systems administration (including RAID)
● Very portable, can be assembled in minutes
● Very modular
● Suggested:
– Use one “Raspberry Pi 2 Model B” (4 ARMv7 cores at 900 MHz)
– Four new 96 Boards (40 ARMv8 cores at 1.2GHz)
– Two Banana Pis for SATA access (2 x 2 ARMv7 cores at 1.2 GHz)
– Increase from 12 ARMv7 cores to 12 ARMv7 cores and 32
ARMv8 cores
– Estimated price 35 + 4 x 129 + 2 x 35 + 2 x 60 + 68 = 809 USD
18. Copyright Linux International 2015
18 of 21
What Can Make IT MORE
Interesting?
Alter the “Stack” to accept other small boards such
as Beaglebone for additional features
19. Copyright Linux International 2015
19 of 21
What Not To Do
● Compare 96 Boards to RPi other than to say it is
“complimenary” and “good”
● Have closed-source drivers
20. Copyright Linux International 2015
20 of 21
Other Courseware Needed:
Microcontroller to 64-bit
“InternetOfThings with ARM”