Porting Linux to FPGA Soft Cores Using Claude Code

Project Overview

A developer completed a weekend project porting Linux to run on an FPGA soft core. The project involved booting a nommu Linux kernel directly on the NEORV32 processor core.

Technical Specifications

Hardware Setup:

• FPGA: Cyclone IV E (EP4CE6) on an AX301 board
• Core Configuration: RV32IMC architecture, 50 MHz clock, M-mode only (No MMU, No S-mode)
• Memory: 32 MB external SDRAM

Software Components:

• OS: Linux kernel version 6.6.83 (nommu configuration)
• Custom minimal initramfs
• Processor: NEORV32 soft core

Project Resources

The developer shared a demo video showing the boot process to shell: https://youtu.be/JC6qNcMIWf8

The complete open-source repository includes:

• All patches needed for the port
• RTL configurations
• Build instructions

Repository URL: https://github.com/14sea/see_neorv32_run_linux

Context for Developers

Porting Linux to FPGA soft cores demonstrates practical applications of AI-assisted coding for embedded systems development. The NEORV32 is a RISC-V based processor core that can be synthesized on FPGAs, and running Linux on such systems requires careful configuration of memory management and hardware interfaces. This type of project is useful for developers working with custom hardware or exploring RISC-V ecosystem development.