Re: Increasing minimum 'i386' processor
On Sunday 20 Nov 2011, Ben Hutchings wrote:
> On Sun, 2011-11-20 at 10:10 +0000, David Goodenough wrote:
> > On Saturday 19 Nov 2011, Ben Hutchings wrote:
> > > The i386 architecture was the first in Linux and in Debian, but we have
> > > long since dropped support for the original i386-compatible processors
> > > and now require a minimum of a 486-class processor.
> > >
> > > I think it is time to increase the minimum requirement to 586-class, if
> > > not for wheezy then immediately after. (Later it should be increased
> > > further, and eventually i386 should be reduced to a partial
> > > architecture that may be installed on amd64 systems.) This would
> > > allow the use of optimisations and new instructions throughout
> > > userland that improve performance for the vast majority of users.
> > >
> > > The 486-class processors that would no longer be supported are:
> > > 1. All x86 processors with names including '486'
> > > 2. AMD Am5x86
> > > 3. Cyrix/IBM/ST 5x86, 6x86 and MediaGX
> > > 4. UMC U5D and U5S
> > > 5. AMD/NSC Geode GX1, Geode SC1100, Elan SC4xx and SC5xx
> >
> > I am still running a bunch of systems with SC1100 processors on them.
> > They are (and always have been) running off the shelf Debian kernels
> > and I would much rather keep it that way.
>
> [...]
>
> Then keep them running. 'squeeze' should continue to receive security
> updates until late 2013.
>
> Ben.
Actually I am currently in the process of upgrading them because the
wireless cards they had are no longer available and I am having to replace
them with new ath5k compatible ones. I also need to work them in frequencies
where I need DFS support, and that is only just being added to the driver.
So I have to upgrade them.
And this could/will happen again in the future.
David
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