Linux is finally dropping support for Intel’s 486.

The chip that was originally released 37 years ago in 1989 will no longer have kernel support on Linux 7.1, as Phoronix reports. Of course, anyone still hanging onto an i486 can always stick to a long-term support (LTS) Linux kernel version. Meanwhile, Microsoft no longer supports some CPUs from less than a decade ago. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. A free daily digest of the news that matters most. The Verge is a part of PMX Global, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation. © 2026 VM Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Sign in to see your notifications or create an account to join the conversation.