On 01/05/2013 13:01, Sławomir Nizio wrote:
So, x86_64 is more than 10 years old now, and it's time to think again
about the i686 architecture.
I am proposing to gradually drop support for x86 32bit by the end of
2013 (the "how" would deserve a separate discussion).
Is there any serious reason not to kill 32bit? Maintaining it takes
50% of our resources (time and space) and we could just dedicate some
of them to the other emerging architecture called ARM.
This is just an RFC for now, don't get scared.
Cheers,
--
Fabio Erculiani
Whatever is decided, let me note that it would need to be IMO pretty loudly
announced at least half an year before, so people have time to migrate.
Agreed. 32-bit computers are still popular (I have a Pentium 4 that was
given to me, I'm using it as a home server). There was a similar
discussion in the Linux Format magazine, about if they had to put 32 or
64 bit software on the monthly DVD. In the end they decided that 32 bit
still outnumbered 64 bits, for how incredible it sounds.
Personally though I'd be happy to have a better 64 bit version or even
an ARM version (which is 32 bit anyways), and switch my home server to
some other distro - there won't be a lack of support out there.
One idea could be to make a poll on the website and advertise it in
equo. Since you have time I think you can afford a 3 months long poll.
Also keep in mind that most people from poor countries still use our old
computers we tossed away many years ago, so if you guys have stats about
download numbers by country it could be useful as well. A hard decision
but I'd be happy to leave the backwards support to distros dedicated to
this task.
mic
