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2d ago

Linux Moves to Drop Intel 486 Support as Patch Enters 7.1 Merge Queue

Maintainers are pruning legacy x86 code to reduce bugs and upkeep on hardware few people still run.

Intel 486 CPU
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Overview

  • Kernel developers have queued an Ingo Molnar patch for Linux 7.1 that begins phasing out 80486-era CPU support.
  • The change removes the CONFIG_M486SX, CONFIG_M486, and CONFIG_MELAN entries from Kconfig, which blocks new builds from targeting 486-class chips.
  • Linus Torvalds has said there is zero real reason to keep 486 support, and Molnar argues the old compatibility code adds complexity and causes avoidable bugs.
  • The practical impact is expected to be small because modern Linux distributions no longer target 486 hardware, and users can stay on older kernels or use lightweight options like Tiny Core Linux or FreeDOS.
  • If accepted into 7.1, this would be the first CPU generation the kernel drops since 2012, when support for the 80386 was removed after similar discussions.