Linux kernel maintainer, Ingo Molnar, has rekindled the discussion on ending support for i486 processors in the kernel. In a recent post, Molnar raised concerns about the diminishing use of modern Linux kernel branches on outdated 32-bit CPUs. As a result, he has proposed a patch that removes the options for building the kernel with support for i486DX, i486SX, and AMD ELAN processors.
Molnar highlighted that maintaining support for the i486 CPU necessitates complex code within the kernel to emulate certain hardware operations like CX8 and TSC. This additional code occasionally leads to issues that consume developers’ time unnecessarily.
This move aligns with viewpoints expressed by Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, who previously suggested phasing out i486 CPU support in the kernel to streamline development efforts. Torvalds had initially broached the subject in October 2022. Notably, support for 386 processors was terminated from the kernel in 2012, marking a similar transition in the Linux ecosystem.