From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.0 required=5.0 tests=MAILING_LIST_MULTI, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: (qmail 23737 invoked from network); 9 Feb 2021 19:03:01 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (45.79.103.53) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 9 Feb 2021 19:03:01 -0000 Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 4C9BF9B962; Wed, 10 Feb 2021 05:02:59 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 66EE294F1A; Wed, 10 Feb 2021 05:02:42 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 1133E94F1A; Wed, 10 Feb 2021 05:02:41 +1000 (AEST) Received: from outgoing.mit.edu (outgoing-auth-1.mit.edu [18.9.28.11]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 0A27194F19 for ; Wed, 10 Feb 2021 05:02:39 +1000 (AEST) Received: from cwcc.thunk.org (pool-72-74-133-215.bstnma.fios.verizon.net [72.74.133.215]) (authenticated bits=0) (User authenticated as tytso@ATHENA.MIT.EDU) by outgoing.mit.edu (8.14.7/8.12.4) with ESMTP id 119J2Y4F000607 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits=256 verify=NOT); Tue, 9 Feb 2021 14:02:35 -0500 Received: by cwcc.thunk.org (Postfix, from userid 15806) id CB48C15C39D8; Tue, 9 Feb 2021 14:02:34 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2021 14:02:34 -0500 From: "Theodore Ts'o" To: John Gilmore Message-ID: References: <5372.1612853750@hop.toad.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <5372.1612853750@hop.toad.com> Subject: Re: [TUHS] Macs and future unix derivatives X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Cc: TUHS main list Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" On Mon, Feb 08, 2021 at 10:55:50PM -0800, John Gilmore wrote: > > That was true decades ago, but no longer. In the intervening time, all > the major Linux distributions have stopped releasing OS's that support > 32-bit machines. Even those that support 32-bit CPUs have often > desupported the earlier CPUs (like, what was wrong with the 80386?). > Essentially NO applications require 64-bit address spaces, so arguably > if they wanted to lessen their workload, they should have desupported > the 64-bit architectures (or made kernels and OS's that would run on > both from a single release). But that wouldn't give them the > gee-whiz-look-at-all-the-new-features feeling. So there is currently a *single* volunteer supporting the 32-bit i386 platform for Debian, and in December 2020 there was an e-mail thread asking whether there were volunteer resources to be able to provide the necessary support (testing installers, building and testing packages for security updates, etc.) for the 3.5 years of stable support. I don't believe the final decision has been made, but if more people were willing to volunteer to make it happen, or to pay $$$ to provide that support, I'm sure Debian would be very happy to keep i386 on life support for the next stable release. Ultimately, it's all about what people are willing to support by providing direct volunteer support, or by putting the money where their mouth is. "We have met the enemy, and he is us." - Ted