IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Show HN: A Project Oberon System version running on RISC-V instead of RISC-5

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Hardware choice & availability

The community repeatedly stresses that the type of board you pick determines whether the Oberon system can actually be used.

  • “The whole system runs on a low‑cost development board (Xilinx Spartan‑3 by Digilent, with 1 MB of static RAM).” — Octagram
  • “Well, the MiSTer project was yet 4 years from being launched back in 2013 … I hope you'd excuse Wirth from not choosing it.” — Joker_vD
  • “The availability of the board to run Wirt's system was an issue pretty soon.” — Rochus

These remarks highlight that early adopters favoured platforms like MiSTer FPGA or low‑cost Spartan‑3 boards, while later contributors switched to more readily available hardware such as the ESP32‑P4.

2. Porting to modern micro‑controllers & self‑hosting

A strong sub‑theme is the migration from legacy FPGA targets to contemporary MCUs (RISC‑V, ESP32, Raspberry Pi Zero 2) and the desire to self‑host the Oberon system.

  • “I have a cross‑compiler toolchain based on my own OP2 compiler version … which makes it easier to migrate.” — Rochus
  • “My system version instead runs on RISC‑V, so no custom FPGA implementation, currently on an emulator, but eventually on the ESP32 (which has a much better availability).” — Rochus
  • “I already migrated the system to the Raspi Zero 2 … the networking support code is currently not used … but might be feasible … to implement it directly on the board.” — Rochus

These quotes show an active effort to run Oberon on cheap, widely‑available silicon and eventually achieve a fully self‑hosting environment.

3. Community & philosophical interest in preserving Oberon

Many participants express admiration for Niklaus Wirth’s design philosophy and a wish to keep the Oberon spirit alive, seeing it as a model of simplicity and power.

  • “Love your commitment to this. You are doing excellent work to keep Wirth's computing spirit alive …” — berkeleynerd
  • “I rather do it as a ‘proof of concept’ to demonstrate that the Oberon System is a (hopefully) great fit with today's microcontroller boards …” — Rochus
  • “The Oberon philosophy … is beautiful for the power it hides behind its simplicity and I wish it was a more popular language …” — thisislife2

These statements reflect a shared motivation: to revive, experiment with, and broaden the reach of the Oberon ecosystem in contemporary computing contexts.

🚀 Project Ideas

[Oberon‑On‑ESP32 Starter Kit]

Summary

  • Pre‑flashed ESP32‑P4 board that runs a minimal Oberon System image out‑of‑the‑box, eliminating hardware‑setup friction.
  • Provides a low‑cost, plug‑and‑play entry point for hobbyists who want to experiment with Wirth’s Oberon without hunting for rare FPGA boards.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Hobbyist retro‑computing enthusiasts, educators, and language‑design experimenters
Core Feature One‑click boot into a Oberon REPL on ESP32‑P4 with HDMI video output and USB‑serial console
Tech Stack ESP‑IDF, OP2 cross‑compiler, FreeRTOS, Open‑Source bootloader (ESP‑FLASH)
Difficulty Low
Monetization Revenue-ready: $25 per unit (incl. shipping)

Notes

  • Directly addresses Rochus’s comment that “ESP32‑P4 is actually my target platform” and the scarcity of affordable dev boards.
  • Would let HN participants instantly test Oberon on a readily‑available microcontroller, sparking discussion about self‑hosting and migration paths.
  • Potential to bundle optional accessories (HDMI cable, case) and create a community‑driven firmware repository.

[Web‑Based Oberon Playground]

Summary

  • An online, browser‑native Oberon interpreter that lets users write, compile, and run Oberon‑07/90 code without installing anything locally.
  • Solves the “no board” pain point by giving immediate access to a full Oberon environment from any device.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Language designers, retro‑computing fans, students exploring minimalistic OS concepts
Core Feature Multi‑user sandbox with persistent storage, syntax highlighting, and real‑time UI feedback
Tech Stack WebAssembly (Rust + Emscripten), React front‑end, Firebase Firestore for storage
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: $5/month subscription for premium VM instances and custom compiler plugins

Notes

  • Aligns with thisislife2’s admiration for Oberon’s philosophy and would satisfy the desire for a “more popular language” platform.
  • Enables pjmlp’s question about “practical to have the ESP P4 self‑host?” by providing a hosted alternative that can be referenced in discussions.
  • Sparks conversation about the feasibility of remote Oberon development and potential integration with CI pipelines.

[Oberon Hardware Compatibility Dashboard]

Summary

  • A community‑maintained web dashboard that maps known Oberon deployments (RISC‑5, RISC‑V, ESP32‑P4, etc.) to hardware specs, availability, and migration notes.
  • Provides a single source of truth for users navigating the fragmented board ecosystem.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Project maintainers, hardware hackers, and contributors to retro‑computing projects
Core Feature Interactive matrix with filters (board type, RAM, video output), status (in‑production, NRND, DIY alternative), and migration guides
Tech Stack Next.js + TypeScript, Material‑UI, markdown‑driven data source on GitHub
Difficulty Low
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Directly references pjmlp’s “Would it be practical to have the ESP P4 self‑host?” and the board‑availability concerns raised by Octagram and other commenters.
  • Would be a valuable resource for anyone discussing “RISC‑5 instead of RISC‑V” or looking to replicate Rochus’s ESP32‑P4 migration.
  • Encourages community contributions, fostering ongoing dialogue and utility within the HN and broader retro‑computing circles.

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