SparkyLinux is bringing back support for "really old" computers
With its refresh of the Debian package base, SparkyLinux has reintroduced a 32-bit edition with support for the Openbox window manager.
Developers of the SparkyLinux Linux distribution announced the release of SparkyLinux 8.4 this week. It includes several package upgrades and heralds the return of 32-bit architecture support for older computers.
What's new
- 32-bit downloads: While 32-bit versions of SparkyLinux disappeared with the first release in the SparkyLinux 8 "Seven Sisters" series, they're now being restored. That means that if you have an older computer with a 32-bit processor, you can potentially run SparkyLinux 8.4 on it.
- SparkyLinux 8 is based on Debian 13, which does not support 32-bit architectures, so adding support was the work of SparkLinux developers.
- The 32-bit image, listed as i686-pae, comes only with a text-only installer (instead of the traditional Calamares graphical installer) and can be used only as a headless OS or with the Openbox minimalist window manager.
What's getting better
- Kernel versions: The 64-bit PC version uses kernel 6.12.101-LTS by default, and the ARM64 version for Raspberry Pi devices uses 6.18.39-rpi.
- Software updates: The underlying package upgrade results in the following version bumps for popular open source software:
- LibreOffice 25.2.3 (with 26.2.4.2 available in via Debian backports)
- Firefox ESR 140.13.0
- Thunderbird ESR 140.13.0
Jordan Gloor
- Desktop updates: The following desktop environments and window managers were also upgraded:
- KDE Plasma 6.3.6
- LXQt 2.1.0
- MATE 1.26.0
- Openbox 3.6.1
- Xfce 4.20
Zooming out
Why this update matters: Linux distros still supporting 32-bit processors are a dying breed. Distro developers reintroducing 32-bit support almost never happens.
Lingering questions: How long can the 32-bit edition survive? Since mainline Linux dropped 32-bit a long time ago, and even Debian Linux followed suit, continuous backporting for 32-bit images is a heavy load on volunteer contributors who are already under a lot of pressure.
My take: I don't actively work on older computers like the ones SparkyLinux is targeted at, but I appreciate any Linux distribution trying to keep computers out of landfills.
Diving in
The fineprint: To read more details about the 32-bit edition and other aspects of the release, check out the official SparkyLinux 8.4 release announcement.
Get it now: If you're already running SparkyLinux, you can upgrade to 8.4 using your normal update method. To get a fresh image, head to SparkyLinux download page.
