In a significant shift, developers of the Fedora Linux distribution have proposed the complete removal of 32-bit support. This decision has sparked a divided response within the community, with criticism highlighting potential impacts on projects such as Bazzite, a gaming-focused fork of Fedora.

According to Fedora Engineering Steering Committee member Fabio Valentini, the need to phase out 32-bit x86 support is clear, as increasingly, software no longer supports 32-bit environments. Valentini noted:

“We will need to drop support for 32-bit x86 at some point. It’s dead, and more and more software just doesn’t support being built and/or run in 32-bit environments at all.”

In contrast, Kyle Gospodnetich, the creator of Bazzite, expressed concern that this change could severely hinder projects like his. He indicated the timing is premature:

“As much as I’d like this change to happen, it’s too soon. This change would kill off projects like Bazzite entirely, right as Fedora is starting to make major headway in the gaming space.”

Gospodnetich further stated that the proposal could lead to irreparable reputational damage for Fedora due to concerns among users about potential loss of application compatibility.

The discussion remains ongoing, reflecting a nearly equal split among community opinions, balancing the historical relevance of 32-bit software against modern development trends.