Re: Drop support for x86-32

[Martin Nybo Andersen <tweek@tweek.dk>]

On Thursday 23 August 2012 19:22:07 wbrana wrote:
> x86-32
> - is deprecated since Linux supports X32.
> - will slow down adoption of X32 - there won't be X32 versions of many
> software - if new ABI was added, old one should be removed
> - wastes time of developers who can spend their time supporting X32
> instead of x86-32 or support x86-64 only as 99% of users will be able
> to run x86-64 software if x86-32 will be dropped
> - wouldn't be dropped this year, but there should be plan when it will
> be dropped e.g. when Windows 9 will be released
> 
> On 8/23/12, Martin Nybo Andersen <tweek@tweek.dk> wrote:
> > Why?

I see that you chose to ignore the rest of my mail, which got lost on the way 
to the lkml apparently because it was infected with some HTML:

----
Windows 9 will have no support for Aplha, m68k, risc, PowerPC, SPARC, ESA/390 
to name a few.
 
They could be dropped as well, but why?
----

You could call these architectures deprecated as well. However I like the fact 
that Linux doesn't try to force the users into using some specific hardware 
(or software for that matter), as some companies tend to do.

BTW: This mail is written on an asus eeepc (32-bit intel thing), and my first 
hands-on experience with Linux was on an amiga 1200 (mc68030). Naturally, I 
love the versatility of Linux and see no reason for dropping support for old 
hardware unless, it is _really_ not used anymore (token ring comes to mind).

-- 
Cheers,
Martin