Linux pulls support for ancient CPU — unsurprisingly, Linus Torvald says there is 'zero real reason' to keep a 37-year-old Intel 486 CPU going
Long-serving Intel 486 CPU officially loses Linux support
by https://www.techradar.com/uk/author/efosa-udinmwen · TechRadarNews By Efosa Udinmwen published 11 April 2026
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- Linux kernel developers have removed support for the Intel 486 CPU
- Linus Torvalds says there is zero real reason to maintain 486 compatibility
- Ingo Molnar authored patches eliminating 486-related configuration options in Linux kernels
Linux kernel developers have begun removing support for the Intel 486 CPU, a processor first introduced in 1989.
The move comes as modern Linux distros have grown increasingly resource-intensive, making continued compatibility with decades-old CPUs both technically challenging and strategically unnecessary.
Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, recently reinforced this perspective by asserting that there is “zero real reason” to maintain support for the 486 architecture, suggesting that its presence now hampers broader kernel development efforts.
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Patching out 486 support
Ingo Molnar, a long-time Linux kernel developer, authored a patch that eliminates key configuration options related to the 486 CPU, including CONFIG_M486SX, CONFIG_M486, and CONFIG_MELAN.
These changes, once merged, will prevent users from building kernel images that target the 486 architecture.
According to Molnar, maintaining compatibility requires “complicated hardware emulation facilities on x86-32” that affect a very small subset of users.
He further explained this “compatibility glue” sometimes introduces issues that consume developer time, which could otherwise be spent improving modern kernel features and performance.
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