Ubuntu will say goodbye to 32 bits progressively

All processors for computers have been 64-bit for many years, but there are still many applications that are only available in 32-bit and not always take advantage of 64-bit. Canonical would be seriously considering abandoning 32-bit and the next version of its Ubuntu 16.10 system would come only in 32-bit installation images.

Canonical is going to start the way to say goodbye to 32 bits in Ubuntu

In the GNU / Linux world there have already been similar movements, openSUSE Leap 42.1 only has a 64-bit image and Antergos will stop distributing the 32-bit ISO images, although it will continue to support it. Canonical may intend to follow in their footsteps and will start abandoning 32-bit in Ubuntu 16.10 Yakkety Yak.

Dimitri John Ledkov, Canonical Software Engineer, states that “ building 32-bit images comes at a cost to use your build farm, quality assurance (QA), and validation time ” so skip the installation images 32-bit would save a lot of resources. Despite this, Canonical will continue to maintain 32-bit applications, thus betting on a formula very similar to that of openSUSE Leap by maintaining libraries and other 32-bit packages to support applications that need it such as Skype and Steam.

The next step would come with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, at which point canonical would stop producing the kernel, cloud images and the installer over the network in 32-bit versions. The arrival of Ubuntu 18.10 would mean the final farewell to 32 bits, removing all traces of it from the repositories. However, Snap packages will be a 32-bit resource installation path.

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