[Suzuran]

This has more to do with the 486 (or clones of it) having adoption in embedded platforms that run Linux than Linux being reluctant to let support for old consumer-oriented hardware die. For example, Linux doesn't even bother with attempting to mitigate speculative execution vulnerabilities on Intel processors running in 32-bit mode, you are just told you are vulnerable and that's that.

[bryanlarsen]

What's the chicken and what's the egg? A large part of the reason that Linux is popular in embedded is because it has a long support period.

[Suzuran]

My point was that the support for 486 was being kept due to its embedded applications and not so someone with a 486-based desktop PC can expect to build a modern distribution on it and achieve full functionality equivalent to a modern machine.

[bryanlarsen]

Not all comment replies are disagreements.