FreeBSD Ends 32-Bit Platform Support

Developers of FreeBSD have announced their decision to discontinue support for 32-bit platforms in future releases. In a published announcement, it was revealed that the ARMV6, i386, and PowerPC platforms will not be included in FreeBSD 15, while the ARMV7 platform will be phased out in FreeBSD 16.

Despite the discontinuation of support, FreeBSD will still maintain the ability to assemble 32-bit programs and use the Compat_freeBSD32 mode to launch 32-bit executable files within the 64-bit nucleus. These features will be preserved until at least the end of the FreeBSD 16 branch.

The decision to terminate support for 32-bit architectures is attributed to several factors. Firstly, there has been a decline in the popularity of 32-bit installations among users. Additionally, the hardware market has shifted towards 64-bit systems, leading to the decommissioning of 32-bit equipment. Finally, there is a lack of resources available to support outdated platforms.

/Reports, release notes, official announcements.