Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel, is considering dropping support for the Intel 486 processor.
The move would come long after most users had moved on to newer processor architectures.
“I really don’t think i486 class hardware is relevant anymore,” Torvalds wrote.
Kernel development will focus more on modern hardware in the future if Torvalds' response is any indication.
Torvalds seems unsentimental about hardware.
“At some point, people have them as museum pieces,” he said.
“They might as well run museum kernels.”
The 486 was the high-end standard-bearer for PCs until the introduction of the Pentium in 1993.
While the Pentium superseded the 486 in PCs in the mid-1990s, it remained popular in embedded systems.
It seems even Intel has moved on, discontinuing the 486 in 2007.
Despite this, there still seem to be some holdouts.
Some minimal Linux distros like Tiny Core Linux support the 486 as a minimum requirement.
The capabilities of Linux on such old hardware are limited compared to what’s possible on newer architectures.
It’s also possible to obtain new 486-based hardware.
Taiwan-based DMP Electronics produces theVortex86line of System-on-a-Chip (SoC) processors for embedded use based on the 486 architecture.
Where Will Linux 486 Users Go?
They have a couple of choices in terms of open-source operating systems.
“Of course, it runs NetBSD” is the project’s motto.
There’s alsoFreeDOS, a clone of MS-DOSthat runs on the 486.
Both of these OSes will likely be popular choices for embedded development.
