The Libre-Chip project led by Jacob Lifshay has received a grant from NLNet to develop a prototype/proof-of-concept processor design that can be high performance but not vulnerable to speculative execution vulnerabilities like Spectre.
Libre-Chip is an effort to develop free/libre CPU/GPU designs and supporting software. Jacob Lifshay is leading the Libre-Chip project and he previously was the one working on Vulkan-CPU and Kazan as a CPU-based Vulkan implementation. Joining Libre-Chip as co-founder is Cesar Strauss. Libre-Chip isn’t to be confused with the separate Libre-SoC project that appears to be more or less dormant now without having delivered on its main objectives.
Lifshay announced the securing of the €50000 NLnet grant to help in its development:
“Modern computers suffer from a constant stream of new speculative-execution security flaws (Spectre-style bugs). To address this major category of flaws, the Libre-chip team is working towards building a high-performance computer processor (CPU) with speculative execution and working on a mathematical proof that it doesn’t suffer from any speculative-execution data leaks, thereby demonstrating that this major category of flaws can be eliminated without crippling the computer’s performance.
Libre-Chip has been awarded a € 50000 grant from NLnet to build a fully Libre/Open-source initial proof-of-concept CPU as well as attempting to mathematically prove that that CPU doesn’t have any speculative-execution security flaws.
Libre-Chip is a project for creating Free/Libre computer chips, such as CPUs/GPUs and their supporting software.”
Those wanting to learn more about the grant can do so here.
Those wishing to learn more about the new Libre-Chip project can do so via Libre-Chip.org.
