What fragmentation? Find me a 64 bit RISC-V chip you want to run Python on that will not execute an RV64GC binary.
The issue is not fragmentation but ecosystem maturity. The exact same situation exists for all chips.
In most x86-64 Linux distros, CPython will be compiled to target x86-64v2. This means it will not use, for example, any of the latest vector math extensions that the x86-64v4 chip you are probably running is capable of.
The reason distros target the older profile is that not everybody has the latest hardware. There is no difference conceptually between x86-64 and RISC-V.
The difference with RISC-V is that RV64GC is more primitive than x86-64v2 and so it hurts more. And fewer people have RVA23 capable chips than have x86-64v4 chips. RVA23 is the RISC-V profile that describes essentially equivalent capabilities to x86-64v4.
But there is less RISC-V hardware in the wild in general. So, there is less legacy baggage to carry forward. RISC-V will go mainstream on a more modern profile than other chips.
Ubuntu 26.04 and newer require RVA23 support. And all new application class RISC-V processors will support RVA23. It will not be long before this is the standard RISC-V profile. It will probably happen before the x86-64 world standardizes on x86-64v4 (or even v3). So your “fragmentation” will be a bigger deal on x86-64 than on RISC-V.
But, today, projects like CPython are still using RV64GC level hardware. So, that is what they target.
Most of us do not have any desktop or server class RISC-V hardware. When we do, it will be capable of RVA23. And CPython will probably target that profile. Fragmentation has nothing to do with it.
Wrong.
What fragmentation? Find me a 64 bit RISC-V chip you want to run Python on that will not execute an RV64GC binary.
The issue is not fragmentation but ecosystem maturity. The exact same situation exists for all chips.
In most x86-64 Linux distros, CPython will be compiled to target x86-64v2. This means it will not use, for example, any of the latest vector math extensions that the x86-64v4 chip you are probably running is capable of.
The reason distros target the older profile is that not everybody has the latest hardware. There is no difference conceptually between x86-64 and RISC-V.
The difference with RISC-V is that RV64GC is more primitive than x86-64v2 and so it hurts more. And fewer people have RVA23 capable chips than have x86-64v4 chips. RVA23 is the RISC-V profile that describes essentially equivalent capabilities to x86-64v4.
But there is less RISC-V hardware in the wild in general. So, there is less legacy baggage to carry forward. RISC-V will go mainstream on a more modern profile than other chips.
Ubuntu 26.04 and newer require RVA23 support. And all new application class RISC-V processors will support RVA23. It will not be long before this is the standard RISC-V profile. It will probably happen before the x86-64 world standardizes on x86-64v4 (or even v3). So your “fragmentation” will be a bigger deal on x86-64 than on RISC-V.
But, today, projects like CPython are still using RV64GC level hardware. So, that is what they target.
Most of us do not have any desktop or server class RISC-V hardware. When we do, it will be capable of RVA23. And CPython will probably target that profile. Fragmentation has nothing to do with it.
Check back in 2 years.