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  • Manjaro Linux To Drop 32-bit Support

    Phoronix: Manjaro Linux To Drop 32-bit Support

    The Arch-based Manjaro Linux distribution is deciding to retire their x86 32-bit support...

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    Sounds like a decision due to a lack of manpower and/or interest and doesn't look good.

    Debian is still available as 32- and 64-bit, as well as for Arm, PowerPC, MIPS, and more.

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    • #3
      Since the announcement isn't unclear, the dev confirmed in the forums that this is just dropping support for pure 32bit installations, multilib (running 32bit applications in a 64bit system) is still supported. https://forum.manjaro.org/t/phasing-...upport/30398/6

      Originally posted by sdack View Post
      Sounds like a decision due to a lack of manpower and/or interest and doesn't look good.
      Manjaro is Arch and it's aimed at bleeding edge users, just like for Fedora, it makes sense.

      Debian is still available as 32- and 64-bit, as well as for Arm, PowerPC, MIPS, and more.
      Debian is after a different usebase.

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      • #4
        They're doing this because Arch itself is dropping i686 support in November. And since Manjaro relies heavily on Arch packages, they kinda have no choice.

        That said, there will be unofficial 32bit Arch packages available from https://archlinux32.org/. They've set up a similar infrastructure to what Arch Linux ARM has.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by starshipeleven View Post
          Debian is after a different usebase.
          If you mean by "a different usebase" a bigger user base then we're back in agreement. But this wouldn't be the first time someone burns one bridge only to be able to cross the next one safely. This rather happens all the time, which too me is not always a good sign. That's all I'm saying. You don't have to agree with my opinion.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by sdack View Post
            If you mean by "a different usebase" a bigger user base then we're back in agreement. But this wouldn't be the first time someone burns one bridge only to be able to cross the next one safely. This rather happens all the time, which too me is not always a good sign. That's all I'm saying. You don't have to agree with my opinion.
            Manjaro is after PC users, plain and simple. There the 32-bit systems are pretty much extinct.

            Debian is more for servers and embedded (that are more or less the same, just on different archs), PC users is just one of their targets (probably a very large one).

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            • #7
              Last time I used a computer with a 32 bit CPU as one of my main computers, it was in 2014. And even then, I was among the last people who still had such an ancient computer.

              I really don't think there's anything wrong with some distributions ditching 32 bit. People who bought stuff that is incompatible with x64 probably got a netbook in 2010 or something. Their netbooks have always been slow, and now that those same people have gotten used to a smoother experience on their phones, it's very likely that said netbooks have already been gathering dust for some time, possibly having been replaced by a newer laptop or a tablet.

              On the other hand, the few people who still rely on and actually need 32 bit computers are most likely people in a business setting. Either they'll keep using the same ancient distribution that was shipped with the computers, or, if they need/want/enjoy updates, well... They will simply have more limited choices in terms of Linux distributions. Over time, the list will grow shorter and shorter (what a weird expression) until 32 bit CPUs are deemed obsolete.

              It's not like every single distribution has abandoned 32 bit overnight...

              Off-topic: I'm a Manjaro user, by the way.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by starshipeleven View Post
                Manjaro is after PC users, plain and simple. There the 32-bit systems are pretty much extinct.

                Debian is more for servers and embedded (that are more or less the same, just on different archs), PC users is just one of their targets (probably a very large one).
                No. All major distros are "after" PC users as you've put it. Manjaro isn't different or special in this regard to others. But they are now dropping the 32-bit PC users and it doesn't seem like they're having much of a choice when Arch Linux is doing it, too, now do they? I find it amusing that you want to deflect from this by making Manjaro look special. This reminds me very much of the BS by the Black Knight in Monty Python:



                Remember him?

                I'd rather be much more interested in discussing the negative sides of losing the 32-bit support than to pretend it's in everyone's interest, or that you wouldn't care, or that it's ok when users are being abandoned and forced to switch to 64-bit or to choose a different distro. Isn't this not one of the things people have always complained about Microsoft? And it's ok when Linux does it? I sure don't agree, but I can accept it if it's done by Arch/Manjaro, because they're lacking the manpower. But I sure as hell won't accept some BS about what's good for users as if this was a Microsoft press release.
                Last edited by sdack; 03 September 2017, 10:39 AM.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by sdack View Post
                  Sounds like a decision due to a lack of manpower and/or interest and doesn't look good.

                  Debian is still available as 32- and 64-bit, as well as for Arm, PowerPC, MIPS, and more.
                  Not that hard if you package components from 1995. They were written for 32-bit in the first place.

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                  • #10
                    Good, This is good news. Even still in this modern time where we've been running 64bit OSes for the past 13 years, we still have games getting released in 32bit binaries. Many of which -needed- to be 64bit. I mean the sooner their aren't any 32bit users the better. It shoulda started happening ten years ago and been completed 8 years ago. Their shouldn't be any 32bit games released today. It's a damn shame really that it took so long.

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