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Fedora 44 Plans to Drop i686 Support and 32-Bit Multilib Compatibility
Quoting: Fedora 44 Plans to Drop i686 Support and 32-Bit Multilib Compatibility —
Fedora Linux may soon end support for the 32-bit (i686) architecture. A newly proposed change, targeted for Fedora 44 (scheduled for release in mid-April 2026), outlines plans to discontinue multilib support on x86_64 systems and halt i686 package builds—a move that would streamline maintenance but also phase out legacy compatibility.
Fedora has been gradually withdrawing from 32-bit support for years. In Fedora 31, the distribution stopped shipping i686 kernel packages and installation images, though it continued building i686 packages to support 32-bit applications on 64-bit systems (via multilib).
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Fedora Linux devs discuss dropping 32-bit packages - potentially bad news for Steam gamers
We may potentially be in for some big changes in Fedora 44, with plans in place being discussed to drop 32-bit multilib / i686 packages.
Tom's Hardware:
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Fedora Linux ponders dropping 32-bit packages, which could impact support for Steam gaming — change could also force Bazzite to shut down, according to its creator
Fedora Linux developers are proposing to drop support for 32-bit packages in the upcoming Fedora 44, saying that many other projects have ceased support for it. However, the backlash from the community against this move has been swift and vocal. GamingOnLinux reported that this might be a problem for Steam gamers, as it needs 32-bit support to work properly. Even Linux gaming OS, Bazzite developer Kyle Gospodnetich, said this move would kill off the operating system as it’s happening too soon, even if Steam had the required packages to function in 64-bit. Thankfully, this is only a proposal and is still up for approval by the Fedora Engineering Steering Committee.
64-bit computing first entered the mainstream market in 2003. In recent years, it has already reached widespread support, with many projects now ceasing support for 32-bit architectures. Because of this, the proposal claims that dropping support for i686 — the last 32-bit architecture supported by Fedora — would reduce the maintenance burden. It will also simplify the process of making x86_64 package repositories and free up resources to “speed up x86_64 package builds.”