Ubuntu Developers Discuss Again About Dropping Support For 32-bit x86

Ubuntu developers are once again pondering the possibility of dropping support for i386 (32-bit x86) as installation media for their Linux distribution.

The matter of dropping Ubuntu i386 ISOs has been brought up many times the past few years, but ultimately it's kept getting pushed back for users still running Ubuntu Linux on old hardware and other reasons. Dropping Ubuntu for i386 keeps getting brought up namely for the installer media rather than the i386 package archive itself.

Today the discussion has been reignited. Ubuntu developer Dimitri John Ledkov today started Installation Media and supportability of i386 in 18.04 LTS Re: Ubuntu Desktop on i386. His proposal would be to stop producing Ubuntu i386 desktop and server ISOs between now and the end of next year with Ubuntu 17.10. For Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, the plan would be to stop producing all i386 ISOs followed by removing the i386 port for Ubuntu 18.10. Legacy i386 applications would only be supported by snaps/containers/virtual machines.

They are surveying Ubuntu i386 users and the discussion was already brought to our forums.

It's too early to tell what ultimately will be decided, but in two years time it's looking likely that Ubuntu will stop providing i386 ISOs.