this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2026
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Debian 12 is one of the last holdouts of 32-bit support if you're like me and have some pretty old devices still kicking. Just a couple years left.
Originally I was an advocate for dropping 32-bit support, but now that getting newer devices is increasingly unaffordable... I actually think it might be a good idea to reverse course on that just a little and keep 32-blt support for just a little longer. At least until after the AI bubble finally fucking pops.
I can wholeheartedly recommend NetBSD if you want rock solid and eternally dependable backward compatibility forever.
There are still distros that support 32-bit besides Debian 12, like Alpine and Void. Until when, that's unknown.
I tried to re-use a phone for some command line stuff.
There's a lot of arm 32 stuff that's not working, so it makes it much more difficult
What all 32 bit stuff do you need to replace?
This was me, pulling out an old netbook trying to figure out which distro it could still run. 🫤
slackware also has 32bit btw :)
I started using 32 bit stuff after experiencing how they tend to be much lighter on memory. A 32 bit os can make a 2~4gb machine very usable. I even find myself thinking if changing everything to 64 bits was really necessary
There is the x32 ABI that tried to have that 64bit cake and eat it too, but it didn't catch on, probably for good reasons. Gentoo still allows you to run it on modern hardware in case you want to try it out.
I've got an Acer Aspire One that is slow but i Iove the form factor. It is really good for email and document tasks, just really light and comfortable and the battery lasts ages. Gonna be sad when 32bit ends