Ubuntu Linux images for the StarFive VisionFive RISC-V board were released this summer. Today, Canonical engineers are hard at work ensuring their Linux distribution is ready for the upcoming VisionFive 2 development boardbe ready.

The StarFive VisionFive 2 development board, released later this summer, leverages SiFive’s U74 quad-core RISC-V SoC. This quad-core 64-bit RISC-V processor runs at up to 1.5GHz — the same as the original VisionFive, but now a quad-core design instead of dual-core. The VisionFive 2 is available in versions with 2GB to 8GB of LPDDR4 system memory, it also has dual Gigabit Ethernet, microSD storage is still the main interface, and there is also an eMMC slot.

Pre-orders for this RISC-V development board are now underway, and the 4GB dual Gigabit LAN version is currently priced at $76, and the 8GB RAM version is priced at $96. Shipments are set to begin in December, while some other VIsionFive 2 variants aren’t expected to launch until the early months of 2023.

Tech site Phoronix notes that owning a quad-core 64-bit RISC-V 1.5GHz SoC with Imagination graphics and up to 8GB of memory for less than $100 is a great option for Linux enthusiasts who want to explore RISC-V Very attractive. The VisionFive 2 is less expensive than the previous SiFive boards, and has far more specs than some other cheap RISC-V boards. “It will be interesting to see how the software ecosystem and developer community builds around VisionFive 2 once mass shipments begin.”

Currently, StarFive VisionFive 2 is working hard to support multiple Linux distributions, and Canonical engineers are already working hard to ensure that Ubuntu Linux is ready. Canonical Engineer Heinrich Schuchardt pointed outwhich is still working on an Ubuntu kernel build for this single board computer.

Board received. Run with Kinetic desktop and vendor kernel. Ubuntu kernel is missing.