Linux kernel 7.1 drops Intel 486 support, removes over 140,000 lines of legacy code
By
Liam Proven
Summary
Linux kernel 7.1 has been released, featuring the long-awaited removal of support for Intel's 486 processor and other legacy hardware. Over 140,000 lines of code have been deleted as part of this cleanup, with more deletions planned. The change was originally slated for kernel 6.15 in May 2025 but was canceled at the last minute before being merged by Linus Torvalds in April.
Source
Key quotes
· 3 pulledPenguin Emperor Linus Torvalds merged the big change
More than 140,000 lines of code bite the dust as ancient CPUs, bus mice, and other legacy leftovers face the chop
More work is still ahead before this is
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