Who does *really* need i686/486?

[machinebacon]

I'd like to ask the dear community: which is your Number One go-to architecture? How many users do *really absolutely* need i686 or the 486 versions? Please pick one :)

The poll has no impact on available Base Releases. If you like, you can leave a comment.

[yiannism01]

I am using personal computers since 1990. Since then I have bought a lot of pcs, desktops and laptops. some of them are still working today! My oldest alive is a 1998 Dell Inspiron 7000 notebook with PII-Celeron 400 Mhz boosted with 384 Mb RAM, the first that had 15in display and 6.4 Gb Hard Disk. It's nice to see it working with #! statler (at first), waldorf (later) and now with debian sid LXDE! It is slow but it is still working without problems and it is not willing to die! (BTW my vote is not real but I love to see those oldies doing the everyday jobs :D).
PS: A fact is that 3 out of 5 systems I own are i686, one of them PAE..

[james c]

My main hardware is 64 bit but I do most of my Linux distrohopping/testing on older 32 bit hardware. If I only choose to download one architecture I generally choose i686 ....which will run on both 32 and 64 bit boxes.

[Verändert]

My children's computer both are 32bit (i686).

[machinebacon]

Just a reminder for those who run i686 - if you want to enable PAE, install one of the -pae kernels (apt-cache search kernel pae). By default, the i686 versions are non-PAE for better compatibility.

Interesting responses so far, thanks guys!

[pidsley]

My "main" machine is 64-bit, and I have one 64-bit test machine that is running Gentoo and CRUX. My other test machines (the ones I install new bbq releases on) are all 32-bit. I have been thinking about buying another 64-bit test machine.

I think bbq should continue to release 32-bit versions -- there is still a lot of older hardware out there -- but I don't think all the releases have to be both architectures. I know eventually everything will be 64-bit, but if it's not a huge amount of extra work a few 32-bit releases are a good idea (IMO).

If the 686 kernels continue to be non-PAE by default, I think a 486 release is unnecessary, unless you know people with 486 hardware.

[wuxmedia]

^ yeah, what he said.
my laptop is 64 bit and i have limited my ancient machines, or they've died. most of the second hand computers i would consider also would tend to be 64 (thats generally the case with 2 cores isn't it?)
I haven't got 4Gb of ram, nor move files of 4Gb around... is that not the 'main' benefits of 64?
the main problem i've had (amongst many) is skype needing to add i386 architecture to run, so i've stuck with 32bit MATE
in the end as long as there's a 'base' 32bit, i'd be cool.

[dkeg]

what james and pidsley said

EDiT: FYI the 3.10-rc4 experimental 686 pae runs nice. and cooler too. dropped 5-7F off my temp.

[paolo]

I need it :-)

Paolo

[rhowaldt]

i'm with pidsley. i'd love to have some BBQ releases available that will run on any old piece of shit box. of course, if you just keep the Boner and the Virgin, that'll be fine for me too :)

[machinebacon]

May I bump this kindly and ask the newer folks to leave their votes? Thanks in advance :)

[bones]

The computer that I actually OWN and use Linux on is 64-bit. The two machines at work that I run Linux on are technically not mine, but too "old" for my workflow in a production environment, are 32-bit. But I can, and do, run other flavors than BBQ on those, so not having 32-bit BBQ wouldn't be a huge loss, for me.

[DebianJoe]

I run a t43 as my main, for comfort reasons. I carry a 64bit with me everywhere. I have various models for testing.

[ivanovnegro]

I already voted here but made no comment.

My main machine is 64bit but it runs Debian 32bit until it dies. The other laptop is running Coal and is 32bit.

[NGIB]

Of the 8-9 computers I take care of in the family, all are 64 bit except one. This old one is our basic Windows box and will stay that way until it melts...

[wayne]

I still have two 32-bit old computers, running bbq-xfce.
both of them are ok with -686 -pae.

a 10+ yr-old compaq presario, very heavy old casing :) still working well!
another 6-7 yr old celeron, self assembled. the slowest of all. Even WinXP 'walks slowly' but it runs ok with bbq-xfce.

the rest are 64-bit machines.

and if I use them to test with 486, one core running, it will cook eggs, coretemp when idling with pae kernel might be around 40 degc but with 486 kernel it is around 59-68degc..
i avoided 486 for that reason.

in summary, I do not need 486 kernel for all my machines

[pidsley]

Paolo, you said "I need it" -- do you mean you need a 486 kernel? Can you please describe the hardware you have that needs a 486 kernel but will not run 686 non-PAE? Assuming you voted for 486, there is also someone else who voted for it (it got two votes) but who did not post to describe their hardware or why they need 486. I am really curious about machines people have that will run 486 but not 686 non-PAE. Please enlighten me!

[vic]

My main bbqbox is 64, even if crappy, but do use my old 32 laptop for fooling around when life permits:)

[JoeMama]

ATM and for at least a few more months or till I can get mo money from my bitches, the only PC I can actually install BBQ on is a Hewlett Pecker Pavilion zt3000 laptop, circa 2003. It is an i686, but everything MUST be NON-PAE cuz it has the sweet sweet Pentium M processor.
Apparently the "M" stands for "Mutha-fucka-you-jus-got-played-sucka-ass-bitch"
So pretty much as long as it's non-pae and 32-bit compatible, I'm good to go.

[machinebacon]

Da Mama is back :D
Yeah, 686 at the grill is always non_PAE, the PAE kernel can be installed manually from the siduction repos.