Linux Drops Support For 486 and Early Pentium Processors
The Linux operating system is officially dropping support for the old 486 and early Pentium processors with the upcoming release of the Linux 6.15 kernel. After more than two decades of support, it’s a significant move marking the end of an era for legacy hardware.
Key Points
- The last supportive version for 486 and early Pentium CPUs will be Linux 6.15.
- Linus Torvalds stated that the continued support for ancient processors is unnecessary and slows down development.
- This marks the first major chip family support drop since the discontinuation of the 386 family in 2012.
- Future Linux versions will require a minimum of the original Pentium (P5) which supports specific modern features.
- For legacy users, old kernels will still be accessible but are not recommended for practical use.
Why should I read this?
If you’re clinging onto a nostalgic 486 or early Pentium machine, then you might want to catch up on this news. While it may not affect your daily computing, knowing where the tech landscape is headed can help you make informed choices about hardware investments. Plus, it’s essential to be aware of how much tech has evolved – it might be time to upgrade that old rig!