Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2016 08:33:34 -0700 From: Mehmet Erol Sanliturk <m.e.sanliturk@gmail.com> To: Ralf Mardorf <ralf.mardorf@rocketmail.com> Cc: FreeBSD Questions Mailing List <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: i386 version in future ? Message-ID: <CAOgwaMuMfF7_zve%2BAMuJ8iiAD4wMXGUQDO4-j8Ck1B1FZ=NOXA@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <20160927134158.74c11036@archlinux.localdomain> References: <CANrxokEkYLY7uTv%2BnWy4K_iBeeaaCMraJmrNOD7cU2GXCWkNCA@mail.gmail.com> <0D6BF663-5C95-4625-B412-00E14EF97986@FreeBSD.org> <35.AF.06698.BEF4AE75@dnvrco-oedge03> <20160927134158.74c11036@archlinux.localdomain>
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On Tue, Sep 27, 2016 at 4:41 AM, Ralf Mardorf via freebsd-questions < freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> wrote: > On Tue, 27 Sep 2016 10:53:58 +0000, Thomas Mueller wrote: > >Some Linux distributions have also quit i386. > > Perhaps, but non of the major distros I know. Since a long time ago > Ubuntu 32 bit kernels by default have PAE enabled, so if a non-PAE > kernel should be required, the user needs to build it. Ubuntu will drop > 32 bit architecture support in a few years for their "normal" ISOs and > repositories, but there still will be ports to get regular 32 bit > architecture packages, let alone that 32 bit architecture won't be > dropped for Ubuntu snaps. Arch will continue 32 bit architecture, but > perhaps enable SSE2 for some packages, that don't have it enabled now. > Note, Arch has got a FreeBSD alike build system, ABS, so users could > easily build packages with SSE2 disabled. > > Regards, > Ralf > _______________________________________________ > > Previously , I was also thinking that dropping i386 would be useful to divert efforts to improve amd64 a little more . Now , I am thinking that dropping i386 is not so much useful because - 64 bit CPU will consume more power than only 32 bit CPU . If a job can be processed by a 32 bit CPU , it is not necessary to use a 64 bit CPU . This will reduce size of CPU , and for small devices means less power . - FreeBSD is a "basic" operating system , in the sense that it is used in many diverse areas . To support very small and power efficient 32 bit processors , FreeBSD has primary importance . - Distributions based on FreeBSD , may decide to drop i386 , and I support their decisions because they are targeting a special area such as Intel like processor using desktops . In that case , trying to support i386 is only a waste of resources . Even a distribution may only support i386 or only another 32 bit CPU when its target does not include 64 bit . In that case also trying generate a 64 bit distribution obviously will be useless for them . For reasons such as above supporting i386 ( or 32 bit ) distributions by FreeBSD will be useful up to disappearing of i386 like processors from the market . Thank you very much . Mehmet Erol Sanliturk
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