In the context of Linux kernel not supporting i486 processor anymore, I am getting curious.
I’ve seen my share of obsolete system, including these “Green screen” computer connected to a plotter drawing on graph paper. and a shit load of “Windows XP” still used in production. So I get the whole never change a working system.
However, Why would you want to run a modern kernel on this legacy hardware
Embedded controllers, especially in manufacturing. I work on machines that use basically an embedded Pentium 1 and a custom kernel. I know of some CNC machines running on 486 that still receive software updates but I don’t know what the OS is based on.
Most industrial embedded PCs I’ve serviced ran on Windows XP Pro but you’d never see it (under the machine control software that autoruns on boot) unless things had gone pear-shaped. It was kinda trippy how at the time you could find that OS running on everything from grandpa’s old Gateway 2000 all the way up to $100K+ industrial CNC machines and million-dollar medical imaging equipment.
Absolutely. The machines I work on the most are XP embedded, but I’ve heard rumors that there are Linux based systems coming down the line.
I’m pretty sure there’s a Bridgeport conversation from back in the day that used a 486 PC running sysunix and an embedded controller card, but I could be mistaken.