Kubuntu will no longer provide 32-bit installation images. Users need not panic.
Kubuntu has confirmed that it plans to follow in the footsteps of other Ubuntu-style series and no longer offer 32-bit installation images. This means that 32-bit Kubuntu 18.10CD images will not be available for download later this year. In an email to Kubuntu developers' mailing list, they explained: "Kubuntu Devels wants Kubuntu to stop publishing images for i386 machines. Therefore, we intend to make a decision that we will upgrade to 18.10 without i386."
Kubuntu joined Klub
if you follow the Ubuntu news all the time, you will find that Ubuntu no longer provides 32-bit mirrors as early as 2017. Moreover, both Ubuntu MATE and Ubuntu Budgie have chosen to abandon 32-bit ISO before their respective 18.10 versions are released.
so why do so many Ubuntu-style versions no longer support 32-bit (aka i386) installation images (aka ISO)?
The core reason is the low utilization rate. As a result, the cost of maintaining a build of fixed hardware often outweighs the benefits of doing so. You know, very few people use 32-bit installation images these days, and among those people, it is strange that many people use 32-bit installers on 64-bit machines.
distributions typically need to maintain separate installation images for different computer architectures, such as 32-bit, 64-bit, ARM, ARM 64-bit, and PPC.
each image needs to be developed, checked, and built, and then these images need quality control, automated testing, manual testing, and so on. This is what we just mentioned to give.
32 users do not need to panic
for users who rely on the 32-bit version, there is no need to panic! Because there are many options to choose from, including the Kubuntu community for KDE enthusiasts.
in addition, Kubuntu 18.04 LTS provides a 32-bit version of the installation image. Core applications (including Mozilla Firefox) will be supported and updated for 3 years. The same is true of other Ubuntu-flavor versions, including Ubuntu MATE.
of course, you can also use the command line to upgrade to Kubuntu 18.10 from an earlier version, as all related packages are still available for 32-bit operating systems.
do you still use 32-bit installation images? Do you know anyone who is still using it? Will this decision have a great impact on you? You might as well leave your thoughts in the comments!
original: omgubuntu compilation: open source China
