Use 32-bit Slackware? Post here to let the developers know!
 

I'm still using 32-bit as well as 64-bit.


By the way 32-bit Slackware was the only distro I could install on a friend's old laptop . Others does not support that cpu.

Coincidentally, we discussed this topic internally, this week. The general consensus was that 32-bit Slackware is not yet going away.

Eric

Thank you! Most of my hardware is 64 bit capable, but I do have an older Acer netbook. :)

Good. My netbook has a 32-bit only CPU, and my laptop has a 64-bit CPU but only 2GB RAM, so I don't believe it would do justice to a 64-bit OS. I'd like to squeeze a few more years out of them yet. :)

Yes thanks! It had not yet crossed my mind that 32 bit would some day go away!

Of 8 systems in the room with me at the moment, only 2 recent additions are 64 bit. Of the other 6, 3 have been updated to Slackware 14, the others are Slackware 12, and I expect them to continue in service for a very long time!

Who still runs 32 bit? I do!

The problem is: when we asked who still uses 32-bit Slackware the silence was deafening. Now that I talk about possible farewell to 32-bit Slackware everybody starts telling they still use 32-bit Slackware.

People if you still need it, you need to make yourself heard when we ask for your opinions!

Eric

Sorry, I must have missed the question until now...

Thanks for having asked, I'll turn up the attentiveness and volume in future!

32-bit Slackware is still useful on a small VPS (up to 2GB RAM), I do have one from Linode (512MB RAM).

I must admit I didn't see the thread asking that question. In fact, I still can't locate it with the "search" feature (maybe i need new glasses?).

I already noticed that this kind of question often do not receive as many spot-on answers as I would have expected, maybe because most people visiting this forum are mostly looking for help or just trying to see if they can help someone.

For instance out of the 46 posts following the question "is support for non-SMP i486 kernel still needed", not that many were elaborated answers IMO.

Maybe this kind of question would deserve to be "stickyed" till a conclusion be drawn by the Slackware team, or could be asked in a specific forum about "the future of Slackware", or in a low-traffic mailing-list with the same scope?

https://twitter.com/volkerdi/status/6248881507 - note that this was 3 years ago, and never got a meaningful reaction :-)

But as long as at least one person in the Slackware team uses old computers or netbooks, I guess there will be a 32-bit Slackware.

I had to create a 32-bit Slackware virtual machine this weekend, in order to run a half-life dedicated server... proprietary 32-bit software will not go away for a long time either.

Eric

<rant>Are we supposed to know that such questions are asked on Twitter?</rant>

Thanks for the info anyway, Eric. I am now a Pat's follower, though I generally avoid this kind of (so called) "social" network :^)

Couldn't help but think of this:

It's not about abandoning 32-bit altogether, though, is it?

I have to agree.

I do not tweet, twitter, facebook or participate in other so-called social media (although I do sometimes twitch... but that is another matter).

Sad as it may seem to some, my participation in this forum is pretty much the extent of my on-line socializing (and I must add it is generally a very good social circle at that!).

A sticky here would do more for visibility than anything else, at least for myself and any others like me.

One other useful place to post such questions might be in a well known README like CHANGES_AND_HINTS.txt - maybe FEEDBACK.txt, updated as necessary in -current. Those who have learned the value of Slackware generally, and the online documents and release notes in particular, would quickly learn to check FEEDBACK.txt or whatever for such concerns.

32 Bit just saved my butt
 

On Saturday I went to upgrade the UEFI firmware on my AsRock Z77 Extreme motherboard. It hung at "Processing Crashless....". How ironic. Anyway I need a new bios chip,I am waiting for a response to my email I sent to AsRock.
Back to the point under my desk was an old Pentium 4 system. Slackware14.0 32 bit loaded and runs although a little slow.
Because I have an external USB backup drive I only lost about 2 hours of work. Good thing because the church's treasurers report is due Monday evening.
Just my two cents.
John