Linux devs start removing support for 37-year-old Intel 486 CPU — head honcho Linus Torvalds says 'zero real reason' to continue support

Linux developers have initiated the removal of support for the 37-year-old Intel 486 CPU from the upcoming Linux 7.1 kernel, following Linus Torvalds' statement that there is "zero real reason" to maintain support for the outdated processor. The move is not unexpected given the age of the 486 and the increasing resource demands of modern Linux distributions. Developer Ingo Molnar has introduced a patch signaling the end of support for the 486, with the changes expected to be finalized in Linux 7.1. Users still utilizing 486 systems are advised to switch to existing Linux LTS kernels or consider upgrading to more modern CPUs.