[geor9e]

In the early development phase, you'd compile the OS on a big non-RISCV desktop PC and target those little SBC boards, then flash it onto them and boot and test. In the prototype phase, you get the real hardware, but will probably still compile from something else. By the time the real hardware is ready to be released to the public, the OS for it will probably already be finished and ship with it.

[IshKebab]

Cross-compilation is much more hassle than native, especially with GCC. It's feasible for individual apps, but I would not want to set that up for an entire Linux distro.

[geor9e]

Sure, but a new architecture is big risk reward. I expect the first companies to start selling consumer risc-v products will have a big budget to set up a datacenter, to remotely flash racks of their devices and run automated tests as their big team develops the risc-v linux distro it will run. Perhaps a nintendo switch 3? Samsung smartphone? Quallcomm smart toaster? Who knows. But it will probably be some big company on https://riscv.org/members/ who has an axe to grind with ARMs licencing fees, and is willing to go to this hassle.

[IshKebab]

I am not sure what your comment has to do with mine?

[geor9e]

Your comment seemed to be claiming that cross-compiling an entire operating system was infeasible. My comment was that it's exactly what big companies do.