Concerned about future 32 bit server support

[Robert Heller]

At Tue, 8 Aug 2017 13:18:20 -0700 "Ubuntu user technical support,  not for general discussions" <ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com> wrote:

> 
> On Tue,  8 Aug 2017 16:06:36 -0400 (EDT)
> Robert Heller <heller at deepsoft.com> wrote:
> 
> > 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.
> > 
> > >   
> > 
> 
> well, I ran across a dual cpu 486 system last year running controls for
> a commercial greenhouse setup (42 greenhouses) Tyan motherboard. Still
> working, I just vacuumed it out and turned it back on. MS-DOS

Generally pure silicon will last almost forever. Hard drives get old and die,
PS get old and die, fans get old and die, but a uProcessor is forever... OTOH,
it does get harder and harder to get old-style interface replacement hard
drives (can you still get IDE [PATA] hard drives? 8-bit wide SCSI? AT Power
supplies? ISA interface boards?).  At some point it might make sense to 
replace the old gear.

I wonder: would a $40 Raspberry Pi Model 3B run those 42 greenhouses as well 
(better?) than the dual cpu 486 system? :-)

> 
> D
> 
> 
> 

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