LL, looking forward

[Jerry]

It shouldn't be interpreted that 50% of those machines are 32bit only eg. one of the results from a '32 bit' search shows a Core2 T7200 which is a 64bit CPU http://ark.intel.com/products/27255/Intel-Core2-Duo-Processor-T7200-4M-Cache-2_00-GHz-667-MHz-FSB, you'll find many examples like that. A more accurate statistic would be to look at all the CPU's in the HWDB and see which ones will only run a 32bit OS.

[gold_finger]

In all likelihood a good percentage of people may have installed 32-bit by choice even though their machines are 64-bit capable.  However, my guess would be "yes" if people are still using a 32-bit CPU in 2021 they'd have to find a new distro that caters to that if Ubuntu stops supporting it.

[newtusmaximus]

"Search found 1182 computer configurations with the keyword/s [32 bit]
Click here to view all 2361 computer configurations uploaded to the hardware database to date. 29/09/2016

Just checked the new data base. Key word 32 bit.  It would seem, if I have understood correctly, that approx 50% of  registered machines  are running 32 bit LL.  Are we saying that ALL these machines are going to have to look elsewhere for an OS ( post 2021) if Ubuntu drops 32 bit. ??   Please put me right if I have made the wrong assumption.

[Jerry]

With Ubuntu considering dropping 32bit, is it time for the LL developers to look at switching from the Ubuntu base to "straight" debian?

I doubt it.  32-bit computers haven't been manufactured in nearly 10 years, and Jerry has already mentioned he's looking forward to not having to support two architectures.

Ubuntu is getting more involved in enterprises via their cloud offerings, so I wouldn't want to hold back their development by being overly concerned about 32-bit desktops.  Furthermore, if Ubuntu 18.04 LTS is the last with 32 bit support, that support will continue until 2023.  By then, even most of our smartphones will be running 64 bit, if they don't already. 

It's time to start moving on.  At some point industry has to say, "We don't care if your VCR still works.  We're not making movies for it."  Those on 32-bit hardware in 2023 should get a different distro.  I say this as someone who recently put Linux Lite on the 32-bit laptops of two of my aunts.  If by 2023 their laptops are still useful, and Ubuntu has moved away from 32-bit, I'll just choose something else, if available.  If not, I'll help them pick out good, used, business class, 64-bit replacements.

What he said

[trinidad]

Seems like we need so many things now, we never needed before. The oldest box I have is 2005, but I still remember my first brand new Compaq i486, the same box that ran the space shuttle, and gopher, and Labyrinth at Georgetown, WinFax, CCmail, Remote Terminal Emulation, Compuserve, Prodigy, and the very beginning of AOL (I was one of the first 100,000 customers, and was given free AOL for life at least twenty years ago, a meaningless gesture now) My first big customer was an Electrical Engineering and Machinery firm (1991-93) phasing out it's IBM mainframe/terminal workstation system for desktop PC's. What a wild run it has been all these years now. Change is relentless.

TC 

[gold_finger]

I'm one of those people who just can't seem to throw away computers that still work no matter how old they are.  (Honestly, it's ridiculous how many computers I've got in my house -- like a friggin' warehouse -- most of which are older models people got rid of when they upgraded.)  Have revived plenty of early to mid 2000's computers with various Linux distros and they are still good for most basic computing needs.  However, as the nature of the web changes over time with content provided requiring more processing and graphics power to display properly, the older machines struggle more and more.


In a nutshell, I agree with torreydale that in another 4 years or so the minuscule number of users left on 32-bit systems may not justify developers diverting their limited time and attention to.  Realistically, in another 4 years most of the old 32-bit machines will have either died or will be so excruciatingly slow that nobody will want to use them anyway.  For the few die-hards that are still holding on to them (and I'll probably be one of them), there will surely be some distro's around that aim to satisfy them (AntiX, Puppy, etc.), so I'm not really worried about it myself.

[torreydale]

With Ubuntu considering dropping 32bit, is it time for the LL developers to look at switching from the Ubuntu base to "straight" debian?

I doubt it.  32-bit computers haven't been manufactured in nearly 10 years, and Jerry has already mentioned he's looking forward to not having to support two architectures.

Ubuntu is getting more involved in enterprises via their cloud offerings, so I wouldn't want to hold back their development by being overly concerned about 32-bit desktops.  Furthermore, if Ubuntu 18.04 LTS is the last with 32 bit support, that support will continue until 2023.  By then, even most of our smartphones will be running 64 bit, if they don't already. 

It's time to start moving on.  At some point industry has to say, "We don't care if your VCR still works.  We're not making movies for it."  Those on 32-bit hardware in 2023 should get a different distro.  I say this as someone who recently put Linux Lite on the 32-bit laptops of two of my aunts.  If by 2023 their laptops are still useful, and Ubuntu has moved away from 32-bit, I'll just choose something else, if available.  If not, I'll help them pick out good, used, business class, 64-bit replacements.

[newtusmaximus]

If I have read the debate correctly, the  cut off point will be  at 18.xx

[Wirezfree]

I guess it's all about when.??
We are based on 16.04, so 4 years support(IIRC) are they likely to do it mid LTS..??

[newtusmaximus]

With Ubuntu considering dropping 32bit, is it time for the LL developers to look at switching from the Ubuntu base to "straight" debian?   I have just started experimenting with Point Linux (XCFE 32 bit) on my Fuji Si1520 (2006) whose processor will not run 64bit OS but has  plenty of life left in it.   So far so good, no keyboard issues on set up  , wifi found automatically etc. 

Question therefore , is switching  "bases"  an option preserve the availability of LL to older machines beyond the Ubuntu  32 bit switch off?