4 ms·

Linux kernel is leaving 486 CPUs behind, only 18 years after the last one made

35 points by rickcarlino 1y ago

tester756 1y ago
Good. Removing tech debt is important
- lillecarl 1y ago
  Agreed, if you're running a 486 machine the least of your problems is running the latest Linux kernel.
- volemo 1y ago
  I feel like at this point they could’ve waited more years just for bragging rights. (I don’t mean to say 18 years is not brag worthy, but 20 rolls off the tongue better.)
  - Talinx 1y ago
    Well, actually... The LTS kernel with longest support before 6.15 is 6.1. It will be supported until December 2027 [1] which is a few months over 20 years after the last 486 CPU [2]. [1] https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html [2] https://web.archive.org/web/20061009060120/http://developer.intel.com/design/pcn/Processors/D0106013.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20061009060120/http://developer.... as linked in the Ars Technica article
    - volemo 1y ago
      Cool, we’ll be able to say “Linux supports hardware for over two decades after it’s stopped being shipped”! Thanks for the info, btw. (:
__turbobrew__ 1y ago
There is always netbsd, which prioritizes portability. Whether you like it or not, linux is a commercial operating system primarily designed and built by people working for commercial entities, to solve commercial problems. Nobody in the commercial world is running 486, and supporting old CPUs makes it harder to maintain and build features for modern hardware that commercial entities use.
- _mlbt 1y ago
  It looks like NetBSD and FreeDOS are the last major operating systems that support 486s. Even OpenBSD and Minix require at least a Pentium processor.
- dpc_01234 1y ago
  What does "commercial" have to do with anything? As a personal user, I have absolutely no need for 486, and I doubt anyone outside of extremely narrow group of people digging old hardware does. 486 was a history when I was a kid, and I am not even remotely young anymore.
polygot 1y ago
Title is slightly misleading, it is not leaving behind 486 types of CPUs individually, but the "486 CPU".
- dmd 1y ago
  Absolutely nobody was confused by this.
  - bmacho 1y ago
    I definitely was BUT I figured it out myself, without help.
  - dpc_01234 1y ago
    I was not, but now that it was pointed out, I can totally see why would many people be confused, at least after reading just the title. :D
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
Daishiman 1y ago
Can most software even compile for 486? I don't think there's anybody out there testing their software for that target.
ChrisArchitect 1y ago
Earlier: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43928570 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43928570

35 points by rickcarlino 1y ago

tester756 1y ago

Good. Removing tech debt is important

lillecarl 1y ago
Agreed, if you're running a 486 machine the least of your problems is running the latest Linux kernel.
volemo 1y ago
I feel like at this point they could’ve waited more years just for bragging rights. (I don’t mean to say 18 years is not brag worthy, but 20 rolls off the tongue better.)
- Talinx 1y ago
  Well, actually... The LTS kernel with longest support before 6.15 is 6.1. It will be supported until December 2027 [1] which is a few months over 20 years after the last 486 CPU [2]. [1] https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html [2] https://web.archive.org/web/20061009060120/http://developer.intel.com/design/pcn/Processors/D0106013.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20061009060120/http://developer.... as linked in the Ars Technica article
  - volemo 1y ago
    Cool, we’ll be able to say “Linux supports hardware for over two decades after it’s stopped being shipped”! Thanks for the info, btw. (:

__turbobrew__ 1y ago

There is always netbsd, which prioritizes portability. Whether you like it or not, linux is a commercial operating system primarily designed and built by people working for commercial entities, to solve commercial problems. Nobody in the commercial world is running 486, and supporting old CPUs makes it harder to maintain and build features for modern hardware that commercial entities use.

_mlbt 1y ago
It looks like NetBSD and FreeDOS are the last major operating systems that support 486s. Even OpenBSD and Minix require at least a Pentium processor.
dpc_01234 1y ago
What does "commercial" have to do with anything? As a personal user, I have absolutely no need for 486, and I doubt anyone outside of extremely narrow group of people digging old hardware does. 486 was a history when I was a kid, and I am not even remotely young anymore.

polygot 1y ago

Title is slightly misleading, it is not leaving behind 486 types of CPUs individually, but the "486 CPU".

dmd 1y ago
Absolutely nobody was confused by this.
- bmacho 1y ago
  I definitely was BUT I figured it out myself, without help.
- dpc_01234 1y ago
  I was not, but now that it was pointed out, I can totally see why would many people be confused, at least after reading just the title. :D
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]

Daishiman 1y ago

Can most software even compile for 486? I don't think there's anybody out there testing their software for that target.

ChrisArchitect 1y ago

Earlier: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43928570 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43928570