The Linux kernel is set to drop support for the 486 and early Pentium processors with the forthcoming release of version 6.15. This decision, announced by Linus Torvalds and supported by other key developers, marks a significant shift in the operating system’s development strategy. The move is intended to streamline the kernel’s codebase by eliminating unnecessary compatibility layers for outdated hardware.
Torvalds expressed his rationale in a recent message to the Linux Kernel Mailing List, stating that there is “zero real reason for anybody to waste one second of development effort on this kind of issue.” Senior kernel developer Ingo Molnar added that maintaining compatibility with these older CPUs is causing technical complications that could be better used for other features. The removal of support for the 486 and early Pentium CPUs is expected to simplify the x86 architecture’s emulation of ancient 32-bit systems.
According to ZDNet’s Steven Vaughan-Nichols, this will be the first time Linux has dropped support for a major chip family since 2012, when it ceased support for the 386 family. The updated kernel will require the presence of the Time Stamp Counter (TSC) and the CMPXCHG8B (CX8) instruction, which are not available in older 486 and some early 586 processors like the IDT WinChip and AMD Elan families. Users with such systems will need to rely on “museum kernels” to continue running Linux.
The decision has sparked mixed reactions within the developer community and among long-time Linux users. While some appreciate the move towards modernization, others worry about the impact on legacy systems. Nonetheless, the Linux community appears to be in agreement that the focus should be on advancing the operating system rather than maintaining older hardware compatibility.