Concerned about future 32 bit server support

[Robert Heller]

At Tue, 8 Aug 2017 18:48:33 +0100 "Ubuntu user technical support,  not for general discussions" <ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com> wrote:

> 
> On Tue, 08 Aug 2017 17:07:07 +0100
> David Fletcher wrote:
> 
> > Hi all,
> > 
> > There was a fairly long discussion over on the Kubuntu list, about
> > dropping 32 bit support.
> > 
> > My concern is that I have a little home built machine with a 32 bit
> > Atom processor that has been running for several years and perfectly
> > serves my needs for a low power headless server. Will 32 bit server
> > support continue into the foreseeable future?
> 
> My understanding is that this possibility is being examined because there
> are not very many people who are able/willing to test the 32 bit software.
> Clearly the testing process is crucial. So I guess the solution is: if you
> want it, become a tester.

Just as another datapoint: RedHat has dropped 32-bit support starting with
RHel 7. But the CentOS team is building 32-bit kernels and has a distro for
i686 AND arm based on RHel 7, I believe mostly done by people who have a
specific need for such systems. I expect that eventually all of the major
distros will stop distributing *binaries* for 32-bit x86 eventually, just as
they have stopped distributing 68K, Alpha, ppc/ppc-64, etc. I believe non-PAE
32-bit kernels are no longer available stock, as well is <i686 kernels -- is
anyone still running 80386's? '486s or '586s? Even though I believe current
kernels still have support for these processors, if one were willing to
[cross?] build them.

> 

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