Linux Kernel May Drop i486 Support as Torvalds Backs Pentium Plan
upstart writes:
Linux Kernel May Drop i486 Support as Torvalds Backs Pentium Plan:
The 486 CPU is somewhat of a relic these days, but its legacy in the Linux kernel has lived on. The i486 has been the de facto minimum for decades. Even Linux, that long-term supporter of outdated architectures, is considering giving up on the chip and removing support for the 486 processors, just like it did for the 386 back in 2012.
The news comes via a post on the Linux Kernel Mailing List (opens in new tab) from Linus Torvalds himself. Recently keen on adding things like the Rust programming language (opens in new tab)and support for Intel Arc GPUs and Loongson CPUs (opens in new tab) to the Linux kernel, Torvalds is now considering removing the venerable 486, writing: "We got rid of i386 support back in 2012. Maybe it's time to get rid of i486 support in 2022?"
The idea, which seems so obvious in these days of Raptor Lake and Ryzen 7000, received a certain amount of pushback, with the claim from some users that new hardware based on the superannuated silicon was still being shipped. When the same plan was raised a year ago, one user said they were still using a 486, and wanted to continue doing so.
The 486, which dates back to 1989, is currently the minimum possible spec for running Linux, and works best with lightweight distros such as Tiny Core Linux.
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.