Firefox 144 will be last 32-bit version from Mozilla

Yes, we’ve seen some organizations continue to build browsers,
so for those who have and use 32-bit systems, the wise words would be:

1) hold on to one or two browsers that are currently 32-bit and work.
2) watch out for the last places building 32-bit browsers and obtain
updates from them.

If you have Web browsers until 2026 that gives a year to make sure
to have a browser you can save and keep.

*** It also gives you a while to find an older, used 64-bit systems to
replace your 32-bit systems; there are a lot of them that are quite
inexpensive. I recommend that you start looking soon. ***

sybok wrote:

It would be interesting to see if the support of FF-ESR 140 will be extended if it is the last one to support Windows 10 (EOL in October this year) as they did with FF-ESR 115 and older versions of Windows.
That could keep the 32-bit builds coming.

BTW, LibreOffice 25.8 32-bit builds are orhpaned but still available to download (with some manipulations of the URL; selecting the preceding 25.2 to be 32-bit the 32-bit version for 25.8 becomes available as well).
32-bit is phasing out.

I think there is an opportunity for the right group of individuals to obtain the source code for Web Browsers, office suites and other orphaned software and find a way to build them. I’m not personally volunteering for this activity for a few simple reasons:

One is that I don’t leave my equipment turned on, and I’ve also encountered difficulties building large software components on my laptops; they seem to have decent processing power, yet I’ve found them lacking “balance” when it comes to I/O versus CPU processing, and I don’t want to overtax them, since they’re all I have. As a “community guy” I’d otherwise be cooperative; due to my own limitations I’m holding the line with the ways that I do try to help the community. Hopefully there is at least one person, either in our community or elsewhere who will find it worthwhile to build stuff that larger entities no longer wish to continue supporting.

Though I sympathize with those with old equipment, I can understand the diminishing returns on hardware that hasn’t been actively produced in quantity for a couple of decades. Project teams also have limited resources, and many are already stretched thin as an ever broadening line of hardware and software appears, so eventually something has to give. It is an opportunity for someone with the time and resources to give back to the 32-bit aged hardware community, however small it may be.

LibreWolf 146.0.1 32bit
https://board.eclipse.cx/viewtopic.php?t=952

Brian wrote:
If you have Web browsers until 2026 that gives a year to make sure
to have a browser you can save and keep.

*** It also gives you a while to find an older, used 64-bit systems to
replace your 32-bit systems; there are a lot of them that are quite
inexpensive. I recommend that you start looking soon. ***

Please remember millions of computers are 32 bit, both in 3rd world and many other
areas. Many people can not afford to replace them and there are certainly not a lot
of cheap 64 bit devices around in many areas.

Second hand prices here in Germany have remained very stable despite end of windoze 10.

Speaking of sharing, I’ve either given or helped others with systems more than once, just as I’ve been the recipient of systems. When I was in Michigan I cleaned up and fixed up systems for a couple of people. I’ve done that less often here, but on at least three occasions I’ve either cleaned up cache or done various other pretty simple tasks for people with Windows systems that started getting slower. By the time I finished with them they worked fine, even with Windows on them. A few times in the past I’ve also custom built an antiX system with configurations matching their specific needs.

@enigma9o7 That is VERY helpful for those who still have 32-bit systems. Thank
you for sharing with us!

Pongo wrote:

The problem for some of us is not that we can’t get or have 64 bit hardware, it’s that we just can’t let go of our old 32 bit stuff. We might be hoarders. 😜

Some of those old 32-bit systems, while older and slower, are also better built than most of the current generation systems, except for the really expensive ones.

I got rid of the last of my 32-bit systems before I retired because there were not very many distributions remaining. But the last 32-bit version of antiX I used was quite good. Fortunately I have found a few really good 64-bit systems from Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo; those are my go-to brands for Linux software.

I tried an Acer Aspire 5 A515-55 unit; the Acer brand is pretty good in price-performance but they have possibly the worst personal system’s firmware/BIOS of any brand; no wonder the cost is “low”; that’s a horrible thing! Where Acer seems to do pretty well, for those willing to use them are Chromebook models. I’ve had a couple of them and for that purpose they do a nice job. I picked up an Acer Chromebook Plus 516; without a backlit keyboard the keys have a pleasant action and the system works well. Of course compared to my other hardware it doesn’t get that much use because I’m partial to Linux in general and antiX in particular!

Best wishes keeping that solid 32-bit hardware working as long as possible!