Ubuntu Linux arrives on HiFive Premier P550 RISC-V development board
The RISC-V development ecosystem is expanding with the introduction of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS on the HiFive Premier P550, a collaboration between SiFive, ESWIN Computing, and Canonical. This integration brings the power of Linux to developers using the HiFive Premier P550, offering a seamless development experience within the RISC-V ecosystem.
The HiFive Premier P550, initially announced in 2024, now ships with Ubuntu pre-installed. At the heart of the system is the ESWIN-designed EIC7700X SoC, which features a quad-core SiFive P550 Core Complex running at 1.4GHz, currently the highest-performing commercially available RISC-V CPU. The board offers a robust set of features, including up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory, PCIe expansion slots, dual Gigabit Ethernet, SATA3, five USB 3 ports, and an onboard GPU, making it an attractive option for developers.
SiFive’s Martyn Stroeve, Head of Corporate Marketing, expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying, “We are very proud to bring this premium product to market, and would like to celebrate our partners, ESWIN Computing, for their hardware expertise and Canonical for their collaboration and work to bring the best Ubuntu experience to developers on this flagship RISC-V development platform. This partnership represents an all-star team committed to offering developers an exceptional and premium out-of-box experience.”
Canonical’s Gordan Markus, Silicon Alliances Director, emphasized the company’s commitment to RISC-V, saying, “Canonical is deeply committed to RISC-V and creating the best software environment possible for developers coming into this ecosystem. The HiFive Premier P550 is set to be the de facto development platform, and with Ubuntu coming pre-installed on the board, we are excited to see the platform used by innovators and developers.”
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS provides developers with access to the latest open-source tools. By leveraging Linux on the HiFive Premier P550, developers can tap into a vast ecosystem of technologies and build solutions that push the boundaries of RISC-V capabilities.
The HiFive Premier P550 is available for purchase now, with pricing depending on the chosen configuration. Developers looking to explore RISC-V development with Linux and Ubuntu should find this platform to be a valuable addition to their toolkit.