Ubuntu 19.10 To Drop 32-Bit x86 Packages

[GraysonPeddie]

Source: Phoronix
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page= ... 32-bit-x86

Anyone who uses 32-bit VST plugins with Wine should know that support for 32-bit packages will be removed in 19.10. This is before 20.04 LTS.

I wonder if Arch Linux developers will follow suit?

[sadko4u]

I wonder if Arch Linux developers will follow suit?

Arch Linux already has officially dropped support of 32-bit distribution.

[CrocoDuck]

Yep. More info: https://www.archlinux.org/news/the-end-of-i686-support/

[artofmusic]

Archlinux STILL supports multilib. they just don't have a 32bit install ISO. Package Manager https://www.archlinux.org/packages/

[sadko4u]

New news from Valve: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2019/06/ste ... for-ubuntu

[Joermungand]

Archlinux STILL supports multilib. they just don't have a 32bit install ISO. Package Manager https://www.archlinux.org/packages/

Multilib is there so one can run 32-bit software on a 64-bit architecture. Native 32-bit is long gone in Arch.

[Linuxmusician01]

What a mess. Valve says that some of their older games will not work without 32 bit support. I can't imagine that VST's won't work anymore in Ubuntu 19. There is VST bridging for 32 bit and 64 bit VST's, isn't there? And you can still create a 32 bit Wine directory like so can't you:

Code: Select all

WINEPREFIX=~/.wine32 WINEARCH=win32 wineboot

[merlyn]

It seems like Ubuntu aren't dropping 32 bit support. Whether this was a change of mind or miscommunication isn't clear.

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2019/06/is- ... -after-all

[Linuxmusician01]

It seems like Ubuntu aren't dropping 32 bit support. Whether this was a change of mind or miscommunication isn't clear.

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2019/06/is- ... -after-all

Again, what a mess, communication wise. From that article:

I’m sorry that we’ve given anyone the impression that we are ‘dropping support for i386 applications‘. It is simply not the case. What we are dropping is updates to the i386 libraries, which will be frozen at the 18.04 LTS versions.

And:

And since an awful lot of legacy 32-bit software, tooling and libraries are ‘frozen’ in time anyway, the impact on users and developers would be minimal at best.

In Holland we call that a storm in a glass of water.

[Michael Willis]

In Holland we call that a storm in a glass of water.

"Storm in a Glass of Water" would be a great title for a piece of music.

[GuntherT]

This was purely bad reporting by bloggers, not a change of mind or miscommunication from the Ubuntu devs. Here is the final paragraph of the original announcement. I'm guessing the bloggers had stopped reading and were already typing out their assumptions and misinterpretations before reaching this:

"While this means we will not provide 32-bit builds of new upstream versions of libraries, there are a number of ways that 32-bit applications can continue to be made available to users of later Ubuntu releases, as detailed in [4]. We will be working to polish the 32-bit support story over the course of the 19.10 development cycle. To follow the evolution of this support, you can participate in the discourse thread at [5]."

This announcement was twisted by those who didn't understand it to mean that 32-bit applications in general will no longer run on future versions of Ubuntu, which isn't the case. Bloggers then accused Ubuntu devs of changing their story after the devs chimed in to politely inform them they had it wrong. As you see above, the story didn't change at all, and I don't fault the devs for not 'dumbing-down' the original announcement for the sake of ignorant bloggers. The devs apologizing for a miscommunication that didn't occur was quite gracious in my opinion, unlike the bloggers who refused to admit their misunderstanding and instead piled more FUD onto the topic.

[Linuxmusician01]

This was purely bad reporting by bloggers, not a change of mind or miscommunication from the Ubuntu devs. Here is the final paragraph of the original announcement. I'm guessing the bloggers had stopped reading and were already typing out their assumptions and misinterpretations before reaching this:

"While this means we will not provide 32-bit builds of new upstream versions of libraries, there are a number of ways that 32-bit applications can continue to be made available to users of later Ubuntu releases, as detailed in [4]. We will be working to polish the 32-bit support story over the course of the 19.10 development cycle. To follow the evolution of this support, you can participate in the discourse thread at [5]."

This announcement was twisted by those who didn't understand it to mean that 32-bit applications in general will no longer run on future versions of Ubuntu, which isn't the case. Bloggers then accused Ubuntu devs of changing their story after the devs chimed in to politely inform them they had it wrong. As you see above, the story didn't change at all, and I don't fault the devs for not 'dumbing-down' the original announcement for the sake of ignorant bloggers. The devs apologizing for a miscommunication that didn't occur was quite gracious in my opinion, unlike the bloggers who refused to admit their misunderstanding and instead piled more FUD onto the topic.

So the Ubuntu devs are not to blaim. But Steam didn't read the original announcement properly either or, more likely, took said blog as their source of information. Subsequently they made Ubuntu into a bad guy without contacting their former friend who made their failed "Steam Box" possible. Which still, I think, is a big mess. Those bloggers and especially the well paid professionals of Steam should apologize to Ubuntu.

[merlyn]

the well paid professionals of Steam should apologize to Ubuntu.

Steam may be well aware of the reality of the situation, and still be looking for another distro. I don't know, but you'd think they would have channels of communication with Ubuntu, and not rely on third party blogs.

If a lot of what Steam sells depends on 32 bit libraries, then it can't be in Steam's interest to endorse a distro that is never going to update 32 bit libraries ever again.

[GuntherT]

Steam may be well aware of the reality of the situation, and still be looking for another distro. I don't know, but you'd think they would have channels of communication with Ubuntu, and not rely on third party blogs.

I'm sure Steam devs and Ubuntu devs are talking directly to each other. I was just pointing out that it does not appear that the Phoronix or OMG!Ubuntu! authors at any point actually spoke to anyone involved but were instead blogging about they what came across in mailing lists.

[merlyn]

I was just pointing out that it does not appear that the Phoronix or OMG!Ubuntu! authors at any point actually spoke to anyone involved but were instead blogging about they what came across in mailing lists.

Yes, your post clarified the situation. Ubuntu do want to drop i386 eventually. The first step is freezing the 32 bit libraries.

The OP asked if Arch will do the same. It's worth differentiating between 32 bit hardware and 32 bit software. Arch has already dropped support for 32 bit hardware, as mentioned above. 32 bit software is supported through the [multilib] repo. If Arch devs were to "follow suit" that would mean freezing and then getting rid of the [multilib] repo. I don't think that will happen.