Slashdot Mirror
Privacy-Centric Linux Distro Tails 3.0 Will Drop 32-Bit Processor Support (betanews.com)
All of its outgoing connections are routed through Tor, and it even blocks non-anonymous connections. You can carry it around on a USB stick, and Edward Snowden uses it. But a big change is coming with Tails 3.0. BrianFagioli quotes BetaNews: Unfortunately for some users, Tails will soon not work on their computers. The upcoming version 3.0 of the operating system is dropping 32-bit processor support. While a decline in compatibility is normally a bad thing, in this case, it is good. You see, because there are so few 32-bit Tails users, the team was wasting resources by supporting them. Not to mention, 64-bit processors are more secure too...
"In the beginning of 2016, only 4% of Tails users were still using a 32-bit computer. Of course, some of these computers will keep working for a while. But once the number had fallen this low, the benefits of switching Tails to 64-bit outweighed the reasons we had to keep supporting 32-bit computers," says the Tails team... "In the last few years, the developers who maintain Tails have spent lots of time addressing such issues. We would rather see them spend their time in ways that benefit our users on the long term, and not on problems that will vanish when Tails switches to 64-bit eventually."
"In the beginning of 2016, only 4% of Tails users were still using a 32-bit computer. Of course, some of these computers will keep working for a while. But once the number had fallen this low, the benefits of switching Tails to 64-bit outweighed the reasons we had to keep supporting 32-bit computers," says the Tails team... "In the last few years, the developers who maintain Tails have spent lots of time addressing such issues. We would rather see them spend their time in ways that benefit our users on the long term, and not on problems that will vanish when Tails switches to 64-bit eventually."
... that 4% of users are using 32-bit systems? Can't be that private if they're collecting telemetry from their own userbase...
Considering who the platform was meant to help in the first place, this is not good news.
Imagine this scenario, you're an informer on the run, you have to hide because you've got a secret that must eventually get out to the public. You have no access to modern computer, but could possibly scrape together some old computer parts to make one, perhaps an old disgarded 32 bit laptop somewhere in the dumpsters in an opressed country where even old computers are gold.
And you can't install it because it requires a 64 bit processor, well - bummer.
Any other day I'd agree with that decision, but in this case - I think it should be as compatible as possible with as much hardware as possible, focus less on modern things, and focus more on safe communications.
What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
Yes I doubt this assumption too, simply because 64 bit processors are newer iterations closer to alterable microcode and "trusted computing".
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Consumer 64 bit CPUs have been around since the 2003 AMD Opteron
Linux runs on many many embedded systems that are 32 bit, including plenty of new devices. It is likely that these are even the majority of running Linux instances. This particular distro may only be interested in the 64-bit desktop/laptop/server market, but many other distros would be foolish to abandon the embedded market.