Starting November 22, Intel very old versions of BIOS and drivers from its website. This applies to solutions that are about 20 years old.
The leading chipmaker did not specify which products will be affected, but it is clear that this concerns old Pentium and Celeron processors. On Reddit, some additional information about driver mirrors, as well as a list of solutions, was shared. However, the removal of files is already inevitable.
It is noted that the real impact of this decision is minimal for the Linux ecosystem. It is unlikely to affect collectors and the few places where such old technology is still in use.
The fact is that Intel has not updated BIOS and drivers for 'Pentium era' solutions for many years, so they are unlikely to be in real use. Therefore, the removal of drivers will simply not affect them.
It is worth noting that the Linux kernel still supports the original Apple PowerBook, which is about as old. So, if proprietary operating systems no longer work with older hardware, the free OS will provide that capability.
It should be noted that all processors from the 'Pentium era' are 32-bit. Despite ongoing support in modern distributions, their phase-out is just a matter of time. Therefore, it is quite possible that in the coming years old hardware will become entirely obsolete.
Source: 3dnews.ru
