How long will 32-bit Puppy support continue?

[liogab11]

I'm currently running an old (as in 32-bit) laptop, and I was planning to keep it useful by switching it over to Linux once I get a new laptop. But with so many distros ending support for 32-bit computers, I want to ask: How long is Puppy Linux planning to support 32-bit computers?

I am looking into using Puppy in the long term, and it will be helpful for me if I can find out how much support I can get on a 13-year old laptop once I switch over.

I'm on a Bionic UPup, if that helps.

[bigpup]

The answer is no one really knows.

The developer of Bionicpup32 8.0 is actively working on providing a newer 32bit Puppy version.
Keeping with Puppy norms, it will probably have another version name.
Other developers are also still providing 32bit Puppy or Puppy like OS's.
So for now there is effort to keep providing 32bit Puppy.

I am sure as long as 32bit Linux software can be gotten, there will be a 32bit Puppy version.

However, Linux software is slowly moving to only being offered in 64bit versions.
This is not that important as long as some form of 32bit can still be found.
May not be the latest version of a program, but in Puppy Linux the newest of something is not as important as it just works.
Get out of the idea that everything has to be the newest version.

Does Bionic UPup now do everything you want to do?
If yes.
You have no reason to get a newer Puppy version or newer versions of any programs.
Be happy until something does not work.
One feature of Puppy on old hardware.
There is little reason to update software if it works and does everything you want to do.

Linux software is not about, I need to put some new function or feature in the software, so you want to buy the newer version.
Sure features are added and improvements are made to software. But do you need them?
A lot of the time, NO!
They make no change to how you have been using the software.

[liogab11]

It seems I posted the wrong title; fixed it. But while I don't mind hearing your opinion, it gives me the feeling that PL is the Toki Pona of Linux distros- keeping everything simple.

I was just hoping if old computers are in the community's long-term interests, and I certainly got the answer.

(=^.^=)

[oui]

why your claim?

no need to claim actually! we have 2 fresh release in Dpup , the one PAE and the other no PAE as well as about the same in 64 bit (see pls the project activity)

josejp2424 did build then using woofCE. as long Debian support 32 can woofCE build 32 bit Puppy's

at the other side, it would also be possible to build somewhat with linuxfromscratch and I am about certain that LFS (and perhaps arch linux) will never abandon the 32 bit line because they are probably milliard(s) of old 32 PC in the world awaiting new stuff to follow the evolution in the web...

I suppose that the GAFA's don't like 32 bit because that limit a bit the use of advertising activity and that is the source of remuneration...

always if you use somewhat from one of the GAFA's, Google, Apple (telephony also!), Facebook and Amazon, etc = analog (the other competitors of those, excepted really rare non profit competitors), you support yourself the enemies of a responsible use of material resources being actually already present on the world and encourage mess . it is so in my eyes...

[mikewalsh]

It seems I posted the wrong title; fixed it. But while I don't mind hearing your opinion, it gives me the feeling that PL is the Toki Pona of Linux distros- keeping everything simple.

I was just hoping if old computers are in the community's long-term interests, and I certainly got the answer.

(=^.^=)

@liogab11 :-

I think the best way to describe Puppy is the K.I.S.S mantra.....Keep It Simple, Stupid.

bigpup's right on the nail here. Constant app updating is nowhere near as important in Linux as it is on t'other side of the fence (the "dark side"!) The only thing that's important to keep up-to-date is the browser, and those are covered in spades, since they're the glue that hold online communities together. Many Puppians actively enjoy running elderly Puppies on ancient hardware. By their very nature, these are going to be 32-bit, due to the age of the hardware; it being the only thing that WILL run on them.

Puppy has its .pet packages, more or less equivalent to a Windows .exe installer. Along with Puppy's SFS packages, which you load 'on-the-fly', as & when you want them, many Puppians are happy with these.

In recent years, some of us have been exploring the 'portable' package format, run from outside the save-file/folder, and self-contained with everything needed to run. Myself included, we've already amassed a fair number of 'portable' browsers, and then there's the other little-known Puppy 'portable', the RoxApp. AppImages - the Linux world's nearest direct equivalent to the Windows PortableApp - also run in Puppy. Not all, by a long chalk, but enough to make the concept worth pursuing.

We can even build our own AppImages or 'self-extracting scripts' now, thanks to the work of one insanely productive and VERY enthusiastic Dutch Puppian in particular.....Fredx181.

In short, we have, between the lot of us, been moving heaven & earth to make Puppy - a 'hobbyist' system if ever there was one - as attractive to newcomers as possible......and as easy to use as we can make it. And as for 'support'? You've certainly come to the right place; this community, very friendly and helpful, will bend over backwards to help out wherever they can.....

Welcome to the "kennels"!


Mike.

[liogab11]

The only thing that's important to keep up-to-date is the browser, and those are covered in spades, since they're the glue that hold online communities together.

Finally, someone who understands what I need!

In recent years, some of us have been exploring the 'portable' package format, run from outside the save-file/folder, and self-contained with everything needed to run. Myself included, we've already amassed a fair number of 'portable' browsers, and then there's the other little-known Puppy 'portable', the RoxApp. AppImages - the Linux world's nearest direct equivalent to the Windows PortableApp - also run in Puppy. Not all, by a long chalk, but enough to make the concept worth pursuing.

Hmm... is there a repo for those?

We can even build our own AppImages or 'self-extracting scripts' now...

I'd also like to check out the repos for those...

In short, we have, between the lot of us, been moving heaven & earth to make Puppy - a 'hobbyist' system if ever there was one - as attractive to newcomers as possible......and as easy to use as we can make it. And as for 'support'? You've certainly come to the right place; this community, very friendly and helpful, will bend over backwards to help out wherever they can.....

Welcome to the "kennels"!

Thank you. I'm actually no stranger to Linux in general, and have discovered PL back during the Tahrpup era. My background isn't in computing, but Linux computing has been a sort of "hobby". And yes, there's nothing like a community to turn to for headscratchers!

I'm sorry I haven't replied any earlier. I have been busy with work, straightening out my new apartment, and my other hobby: cooking.

[mikewalsh]

@liogab11 :-

Um.....well, we don't really have a 'repo' for much of this stuff, exactly. Some of it's in my own Google Drive & MediaFire a/cs, some in other Puppians. Y'see, this is the thing with Puppy software; when there's a new stable version of Puppy available, each dev will make a 'standard' range of software available for it through the official repos over @ Ibiblio. But by far the bulk of software that's been built/compiled/assembled/put together/packaged over the years has been done by diifferent forum members, with the result that instead of everything being together in one central location, most of it is scattered across scores of individual, personal cloud accounts.....and as members come and go, we gradually lose access to stuff assembled for older Puppies.

However, our 'archivist', Ally, has over the years assembled a giant, "mirrored" collection of Puppy software over at archive.org. I'll warn you, though, it DOES take some searching through, since archive.org have one of the weirdest search engines I've ever come across.....everything works via filters. But if you want anything specific, all ya gotta do is ask; we can usually dig up just about anything you can think of from the forum archives. I'm no expert at that side of things; many folks are better at that than I am...!!


Mike.

[sc0ttman]

As long as Debian keeps making 32-bit offerings, we should keep supporting Puppy being built with those packages .. So for the foreseeable future at least, we should be able to build and offer 32-but based Debian Puppies ...

Happily, Debian packages are a well made, reliable, well tested - and radky, one of our Puppy builders, likewise.. So his 32-bit Debian-based Puppies (Debian Stretch32, Debian Buster32) are fantastic.

I've only been using a 64 bit pup as my main OS for the last 2 months (fossa64)... Been on 32 bit pups the whole time up till then..

The only thing I like about the 64 bit pups is that now when I encounter a package that is 64 bit only, I don't have to skip it... I've been able to test and run a wider choice of software on my 64 bit pup..

[Soundwave]

Constant app updating is nowhere near as important in Linux as it is on t'other side of the fence (the "dark side"!) The only thing that's important to keep up-to-date is the browser, and those are covered in spades, since they're the glue that hold online communities together.

I couldn't agree more Mike after 2 decades on Windows, I was introduced to Linux by a close friend a few years ago who was using a custom Arch based install. Obviously being really impressed by it and like millions off others being constantly frustrated by windows breaking on every update he helped me massively into the world of Linux and getting Arch set up, answering a billion or so questions and help fixing stuff that I had broken . At first it was great then the honeymoon period wore off and the constant app updating started to irritate me a little more day by day (seemed everyday the exclamation mark was glowing red on the taskbar to tell me something else was hot off the press and ready to be updated) I decided to finally find an alternative 6 months ago and Puppy intrigued me, I installed tahrpup to my second hard drive in my PC and haven't looked back