FreeBSD Continues Push Toward Deprecating 32-bit Platforms

[Jumbotron]

Meh...way of the world and natural evolution. Why not the same for silicon and hardware arch?

Sooner or later at the rate that ALL kernels, Windows, MacOS, Linux, BSD's are expanding to be capable of handling the increased computational need at scale and performance you have to cut the cruft. Arborists the world over know this as the practice of pruning,.

As an example, this just came out over at The Register where users ( peasants ) on the Microsoft plantation will soon wake up to this if their kit is of a certain, shall we say, antique vintage....

https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/13/microsoft_might_have_just_pulled/

[phoenix_rizzen]

the last 32-bit-only intel was netburst series which was end of sale in 2010.
even if the hardware still alive, i dont think it was still used as daily primary computer by 2020 and moreover installed with latest ubuntu

Incorrect. NetBurst, aka Pentium 4, started as 32-bit only but ended its run supporting EM64T aka Intel's not-quite-compatible-with-amd64 take on 64-bit x86. The 64-bit version was released in 2004 and the P4 was discontinued in 2008.

The follow-up to the P4, Pentium-M, was 32-bit only. The follow-up to that, the original Core architecture, aka Core Solo and Core Duo, were also 32-bit only. These were released in 2006.

The Core 2 architecture that followed was the first designed to support 64-bit from the get-go, also released in 2006.

The Intel Atom N200-series was released in 2008 that had some models that were 32-bit only, and others were 64-bit.

[energyman]

those who are complaining: you can always volunteer to do the work to support 32bit. Noone is stopping you. If FreeBSD itself is not willing to accept your work, they won't stop you forking and doing your own thing. Isn't it beautiful?

But demanding that volunteers increase their workload, just for you and a handful of others like you - that is just selfish and wrong.