gmod-lcpu/ideas.md

# LCPU Idea/Working Model Sheet

This is basically the working ideas for the LCPU project.

## Core features

- CPU SENTs
	- RISC-V rv32ima core
		- Would supporting more than one CPU core type be worthwhile? If so, the project is relatively setup for such workflow...
	- Controllable paramaters (RAM size, ...)

## Code upload

- Upload a raw binary to execute, generated from any user tooling (goes into server data folder)
	- Yes, this means you can run Linux in GMod. No, I'm not sorry.
	- Or even an ELF? Would require less linker hell?

## Integrated simple project workflow (WIP)

- Uses official RISC-V GCC toolchain
	- Server operator can control root path of where they have installed it.

- Write assembly/C/C++ code using a tiny project system (source for them would go in server data folder ?)
	- At the root of a project, a `project.json` file exists, with something like:
	```json
		{
			"project": {
				"cCompileFlags": "-O2",
				"cppCompileFlags": "-O2 -fno-exceptions -fno-rtti",

				"sources": [
					"startup.S",
					"main.cpp"
				]

			}
		}
	```

- No conditional compilation
	- All files in a project are built by that project

- Text editor used to edit project source files

- Some example projects?
	- I joke about it, but an RTOS would be really nice and a good stress test of the project system (for usage in "real" projects.)

## Moderation/administration tools
- Admin controlled per-user max RAM size (default 64mb)
	- possibly override for "respectful" users and admins (admins probably wouldn't even count)?

- Admin controlled per-user max LCPU entity count (default 8)
	- Admins don't count to limits

- Admin controled global (affects all placed LCPUs) scheduler cycle rate.
	- Couldn't be faster than tickrate though or we might block source (and.. well, i dont think i have to explain)
		- I decided not to go with the cpu thread stuff just because its annoying, and would require more state tracking. just ticking in lua using `ENT:Think` should be more than good enough (even if theres a risk of hitching source, but I don't think it's that big of a problem...)
		- Project compilations however will definitely end up in a different thread though. Running them in the engine thread would undoubtably cause issues.

## Addon interopability

- Wiremod interopability
	- Wiremod GPIO peripheral (to interface with wire world)
	- special Console Screen peripheral (interfacing specifically with it)
	- frambuffer peripheral which uses the Digital Screen