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I wish this kind of thing would be rejected outright. There's no reason to disable useful functionality like this when it doesn't even result in getting to remo
by josephcsible 3y ago
I wish this kind of thing would be rejected outright. There's no reason to disable useful functionality like this when it doesn't even result in getting to remove any code.
- ronsor 3y agoIt's an optional thing controlled by a kernel parameter you pass only at boot time. The reality is a modern server, where most Linux installations are, is going to be running only 64-bit processes; there should be no 32-bit processes present. In fact, the presence of one may indicate a compromised (32-bit malware/botnet stub) server! On the desktop, it's not like it'll be enabled by default, so you can still run 32-bit apps without issue such as Steam and Windows applications via WINE.
- josephcsible 3y agoI know it's optional for now. But now that the knob is there, it's only a matter of time until someone finds a way to effectively mandate that it be turned even on other people's computers.
- ronsor 3y agoI don't think that'll happen as long as x86 CPUs support a 32-bit userspace. Consider that Linux just dropped i486 support last year. The i486 released in 1989, over thirty years ago!
- josephcsible 3y agoI don't expect support to get dropped from the Linux kernel. I meant that I expect things like DRM, video game anticheat, and corporate VPN host checks to start refusing to work unless you turn it off.