It’s literally not worth the electricity to keep computers that old running. You could replace one with a $5 Raspberry Pi Zero or maybe even a $2 microcontroller and recoup the cost in lower power bills within a month or so.
Do they usually run a Linux kernel? I would have expected some RTOS on a chip like that. And if it does run Linux, does the SDK use mainline Linux or some fork by the manufacturer?
Some stuff turns to e-waste because it’s no longer supported by software. Some stuff turns to e-waste because it’s just so goddamn old. The last ones of these architecture had a whopping 233MHz. My first PC that I got new as a kid was faster than that (must have been a Pentium II, while i586 is Pentium). I highly doubt there are many of these systems left in operation, especially not with new kernels.
A lot and i mean a lot of industrial controllers are running on 486s. Intel was producing 486s up until 2007. And a lot of companies wont get rid of controllers if they continue to work.
Yay, ewaste!
It’s literally not worth the electricity to keep computers that old running. You could replace one with a $5 Raspberry Pi Zero or maybe even a $2 microcontroller and recoup the cost in lower power bills within a month or so.
The Pentium Pro came out in 1995. This is dropping support for CPUs that came out before then. The 486 came out in 1989.
I personally think 36 years of support is long enough.
There were 486 compatible SoC chips being released as late as 2010.
I think you can still buy them: https://www.vortex86.com/
Do they usually run a Linux kernel? I would have expected some RTOS on a chip like that. And if it does run Linux, does the SDK use mainline Linux or some fork by the manufacturer?
They run Windows CE and Linux though they also support QNX.
Specific Vortex86 detection was added in Linux 5.15 I think
Some stuff turns to e-waste because it’s no longer supported by software. Some stuff turns to e-waste because it’s just so goddamn old. The last ones of these architecture had a whopping 233MHz. My first PC that I got new as a kid was faster than that (must have been a Pentium II, while i586 is Pentium). I highly doubt there are many of these systems left in operation, especially not with new kernels.
A lot and i mean a lot of industrial controllers are running on 486s. Intel was producing 486s up until 2007. And a lot of companies wont get rid of controllers if they continue to work.
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You do if want to support modern hardware. Just because the brains are old doesnt mean the peripherals are.
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Don’t be an idiot.