diff --git a/docs/blog/posts/2026/05/lfoss-riscv.md b/docs/blog/posts/2026/05/lfoss-riscv.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..c37ba5c107 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/blog/posts/2026/05/lfoss-riscv.md @@ -0,0 +1,114 @@ +--- +authors: [julianmorillo] +date: 2026-05-12 +slug: lfoss-riscv +--- + +# `lfoss/2025b` now available in the EESSI RISC-V stack + +The EESSI RISC-V software stack available through the `dev.eessi.io/riscv` repository +now includes the `lfoss/2025b` toolchain. + +This is an important milestone for the RISC-V enablement work in EESSI, since it brings a +modern LLVM-based software toolchain to the growing collection of software available for +RISC-V systems through EESSI. + + + +The RISC-V software stack is distributed through the EESSI development repository +infrastructure and is intended for experimentation, testing, and early adoption of RISC-V +support in EESSI. + +## What is `lfoss` + +`lfoss` is the LLVM-based counterpart to the widely used `foss` toolchain in EESSI and +EasyBuild ecosystems. + +Where `foss` is centered around GCC, the `lfoss` family uses LLVM/Clang while still +providing the familiar scientific software stack components such as MPI, BLAS/LAPACK, FFT +libraries, and related HPC tooling. + +The availability of `lfoss/2025b` on RISC-V is particularly relevant because LLVM's RISC-V +backend has matured significantly in recent years, making it increasingly viable for HPC +and scientific computing workloads. + +## Why this matters + +Adding `lfoss/2025b` to the EESSI RISC-V stack provides several benefits: + ++ access to a modern LLVM/Clang-based compiler environment on RISC-V; ++ broader compiler coverage for portability testing; ++ improved support for projects already using LLVM toolchains; ++ additional opportunities to validate and improve RISC-V support in HPC software +ecosystems. + +This also helps align the RISC-V stack more closely with the software offerings already +available on x86\_64 and AArch64 platforms in EESSI. + +## Accessing the RISC-V stack + +The RISC-V stack is currently provided through the dedicated RISC-V development +repository. To access it, make sure that the `software.eessi.io` and `dev.eessi.io` CernVM-FS repositories are available on your system, and then just run: + +``` +$ export EESSI_VERSION_OVERRIDE=2025.06-001 +$ source /cvmfs/software.eessi.io/versions/2025.06/init/lmod/bash +This EESSI production version only provides a RISC-V compatibility layer, +software installations are provided by the EESSI development repository at /cvmfs/dev.eessi.io/riscv. + +Module for EESSI/2025.06 loaded successfully +EESSI has selected riscv64/generic as the compatible CPU target for EESSI/2025.06 +EESSI did not identify an accelerator on the system +(for debug information when loading the EESSI module, set the environment variable EESSI_MODULE_DEBUG_INIT) +``` + +On a RISC-V system, this will initialize the RISC-V software stack environment. + +You can then verify that the new toolchain is available: + +``` +module avail lfoss +``` + +and load it via: + +``` +module load lfoss/2025b +``` + +## Availability in `dev.eessi.io/riscv` + +The RISC-V stack is currently hosted in the EESSI development infrastructure, which is +intended for pre-release and experimental software deployments. + +As with the rest of the RISC-V repository: + ++ software availability is still evolving; ++ builds may be updated or replaced; ++ the stack currently focuses on generic RISC-V targets. + +The RISC-V repository already contains a growing collection of scientific software and toolchains. + +## Looking ahead + +The addition of `lfoss/2025b` is another step toward broader and more mature RISC-V +support within EESSI. + +Future work will include: + ++ expanding software coverage built with LLVM-based toolchains; ++ improving validation and CI coverage for RISC-V; ++ enabling additional optimized RISC-V targets as the ecosystem matures; ++ continuing collaboration with the broader RISC-V and HPC communities. + +RISC-V remains an exciting and rapidly developing architecture for HPC and scientific +computing, and EESSI aims to make portable, reproducible software stacks readily +available for emerging platforms. + +## Learn more + ++ [EESSI RISC-V repository documentation](https://www.eessi.io/docs/repositories/dev.eessi.io-riscv/) ++ [dev.eessi.io documentation](https://www.eessi.io/docs/repositories/dev.eessi.io/) ++ [Available software in EESSI](https://www.eessi.io/docs/available_software/) ++ [foss toolchain documentation](https://www.eessi.io/docs/available_software/detail/foss) +