4 ms·
It's more about whether the kernel retains support for 486. I wonder how many people are still using the platform actively? Or is it just hobbyists at this stag
by frampytown 5y ago
It's more about whether the kernel retains support for 486. I wonder how many people are still using the platform actively? Or is it just hobbyists at this stage. If no-one is using it I think the kernel devs would drop support. Though perhaps Linus has a soft spot for old x86s specifically :-)
- zozbot234 5y agoAIUI, the Linux kernel only dropped 386 because it was getting unworkable to maintain the SMP code for it. Perhaps support could be reintroduced, limited to single-core machines (no SMP support in the kernel configuration) only. Of course it would mostly be useful as a proof of concept, but the 386 is a very well-understood architecture nowadays so that would definitely have some merit.