On Sun, 2011-11-20 at 19:43 +0000, David Goodenough wrote:
> 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.
Whatever is decided, you should have some years' warning that you either
need to upgrade the hardware or hire someone to continue support (though
I doubt it'll be worth it).
Ben.
--
Ben Hutchings
Usenet is essentially a HUGE group of people passing notes in class.
- Rachel Kadel, `A Quick Guide to Newsgroup Etiquette'
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