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This cheap RISC-V board runs Debian and is an essential part of my smart home
Quoting: This cheap RISC-V board runs Debian and is an essential part of my smart home —
As for why I opted to use Debian and not the preinstalled Python version, I wanted to deploy this project using the RISC-V platform, just because I could. It worked on Arm without any issues, but the official images that booted on the RISC-V core couldn't actually use Bluetooth. While the service started, and I could register the Bluetooth controller with the system, it still didn't work. I struggled with it for a while, but given that I knew it just worked on Arm, I figured that there must be other images out there with other operating systems. I know that Debian has the robust Advanced Packaging Tool (apt) package management system, which seemed like a no-brainer for a quick and easy deployment.
With Debian, this board is perfect. Wi-Fi works, Bluetooth works, and you can get it up and running in minutes. If you have an old SBC lying around, chances are there's something you can do with it. Maybe it won't be glamorous or particularly life-changing, but you might have a use for that old board sitting in a drawer somewhere. Thanks to its inclusion of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, I was able to turn a $10 RISC-V SBC into a crucial part of my smart home.