Debian's i386 Builds Now Require 686-Class CPUs

[Linuxhippy]

I am not sure I understand the rationale behind this decision: Users with modern hardware will run x86_64 distributions anyway, the "i386" variants are more or less only used on legacy systems. I would understand the decision if it would help to reduce the amount of maintenance (like removing support for i386 from the linux kernel), however in this case it is simply caused by the wish to enable a few more compiler optimizations (cmov et al.).
Although I was running a Pentium-90 based server until recently, I find it more irritating to see support for AMD's K6-2/3 removed. These CPUs are still powerful enough to be used as a private file/mail/web/db-server.

[discordian]

These CPUs are still powerful enough to be used as a private file/mail/web/db-server.

And they still are, you dont have install a new OS on them.
If you want to save some money and dont needlessly burn energy, you could probably replace them with a cheap SBC like the Rasperry Pi or a network harddrive.

There is little rationale to hang onto those old CPUs, much less if you want to install new software.

[Linuxhippy]

If you want to save some money and dont needlessly burn energy, you could probably replace them with a cheap SBC like the Rasperry Pi or a network harddrive.
There is little rationale to hang onto those old CPUs, much less if you want to install new software.

Exactly the same argument could be brought up against creating a 32-bit i686 debian distribution in general - which would indeed make maintenance a lot easier. My point was that reducinig the number of supported systems just to gain a few percent performance on a platform that is considered legacy anyway might not be the most brilliant decision.

[discordian]

Exactly the same argument could be brought up against creating a 32-bit i686 debian distribution in general - which would indeed make maintenance a lot easier. My point was that reducinig the number of supported systems just to gain a few percent performance on a platform that is considered legacy anyway might not be the most brilliant decision.

You where asking for a rationale, you might not agree with it. And the argument against 32-bit iX86 as whole is brought up regularly and its just a matter of time, really.
Its more than just performance, there are several instructions missing for efficiently dealing with threads in i586, means you dont depend on libatomic for example.

[Linuxhippy]

Its more than just performance, there are several instructions missing for efficiently dealing with threads in i586, means you dont depend on libatomic for example.

Out of curiosity, which instructions? Br.

[stiiixy]

I think Phoronix might have reported about 4-5 years ago the last of the Pentium II's rolling out of storage for delivery. I believe it was to a printer manufacturer, which to this day is still the market I believe for these 'old and useless things'. It's an old, reliable and still useful tech that will be long supported even after linux decides not to support it simply because it's old, reliable and still useful tech.

The cost of running an old CPU against the fuser unit in a laser printer is nix.

[discordian]

Out of curiosity, which instructions? Br.

Hmm, actually I thought CMPXCHG8B but thats i586 already. Might be that solme conditional moves are used for lockfree operations.
I established a baseline for some software a few years ago, which widely uses atomic operations instead of locks. With i586 (some of) these depend on a library (libatomic), with i686 they all are simple cpu instructions. Sorry, would have to dig into it myself for an answer.

[Kano]

If you want latest Google Chrome you already need a 64 bit system. So for desktop systems the minimum specs already are just below Windows 8.1/10 64 bit which also requires some extra CPU instructions. If a new Debian release that will be released hopefully next year does not support CPUs older than 10 years the world does not need to cry. The only thing I wonder are new 32 bit UEFI systems with Atom CPUs...

[stiiixy]

I believe Pentium III's are still being used in large printers. And the power usage is effectively nothing compared to the 1500W's plus the fuser requrie to pump out a piece of print.

[Kano]

Did you ever update a printer to a newer Debian release?