I was just reading the announcement that the Ubuntu folks are dropping 32-bit x86 support completely. Although Ubuntu is a downstream derivative of Debian, Debian and Ubuntu have a lot of overlap in terms of maintainers and developers, and certain developments between the two projects tend to overlap.
https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/i386-architecture-will-be-dropped-starting-with-eoan-ubuntu-19-10/11263/2 As someone who uses a good chunk of 32-bit x86 software on a 64-bit machine (with no hopes of my software ever being ported to 64-bit), this has me worried about the future viability of running my software. For now, the solution is simple: stick with Debian, use an older version of Ubuntu, or use a different Linux-based distro altogether. I won't be surprised when Debian stops shipping ISOs for 32-bit x86 support, as the demand for this architecture is rapidly declining with each Debian release. However, there is still considerable demand for 32-bit legacy software. Debian Buster will definitely ship with multilib support to allow using 32-bit x86 applications on 64-bit amd64 systems, without the need to jump through virtualization hoops or running snap packages (like the Ubuntu folks are recommending). But I'm worried that future versions of Debian (ie: Bullseye and Bookworm) are going to be the final nail in the coffin for 32-bit software support. Am I worried over nothing?
signature.asc
Description: OpenPGP digital signature
