Messages in this thread | | | Date | Thu, 23 Aug 2012 14:54:40 -0400 | Subject | Re: Drop support for x86-32 | From | Brian Gerst <> |
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On Thu, Aug 23, 2012 at 1:22 PM, wbrana <wbrana@gmail.com> 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
You misunderstand what the X32 ABI is. It's 64-bit code (allowing use of the extended register set) that uses 32-bit pointers to save memory. It has nothing to do with 32-bit kernels, and is completely optional.
> - 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
The x86-32 arch is mature and well maintained, and shares so much in common with x86-64, that there is little to be gained by dropping kernel support.
> - wouldn't be dropped this year, but there should be plan when it will > be dropped e.g. when Windows 9 will be released
Windows mostly sells with new hardware, and by the time win9 is released all new hardware designed for it will be 64-bit capable. Therefore it is not *profitable* for Microsoft to continue to develop a 32-bit version. That doesn't apply to Linux. Linux is installed on a broad range of hardware, new and old. In general, we don't drop support for hardware unless there is nobody willing to maintain it.
-- Brian Gerst
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