Support is ending for Feren OS on 32-Bit Hardware in the future
Unfortunately, due to many reasons, including uncontrollable reasons such as the loss of Ubuntu 32-Bit support in the future, Feren OS 32-Bit has lost support for Major Updating Feren OS past the Ubuntu 18.04 used in 32-Bit Feren OS ISOs for 32-Bit hardware, with all support for Feren OS x32 set to end entirely in 2023. The time in 2023 when support ends is yet to be confirmed.
What will this mean for me?
For people using the 32-Bit version of Feren OS, this means that when Ubuntu 20.04 LTS comes out and Feren OS 64-Bit machines gain the ability to Major Update to that base, 32-Bit users will not be offered the update at all, meaning 32-Bit users will be stuck on either Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, or Ubuntu 19.04 if the Non-LTS Update Channel is enabled and the Ubuntu base is updated to a Non-LTS version prior to this cut-off date.
However, when this cut-off date occurs you will not immediately stop getting updates for your Feren OS 32-Bit installs entirely.
However, when this cut-off date occurs you will not immediately stop getting updates for your Feren OS 32-Bit installs entirely.
What will happen with updates past the cut-off date?
Following the cut-off date for future Major Updates on x32 hardware, Feren OS 32-Bit will still continue to receive updates for the time that the Ubuntu 18.04 base used by Feren OS 32-Bit is supported. This will also include updates to Feren OS features with a separate repository for 32-Bit users to backport otherwise unavailable Feren OS updates (for the most part) to Feren OS 32-bit, meaning you will not be missing out on too much compared to the Feren OS 64-bit users.
What can I do?
The best thing to do if you're on Feren OS 32-Bit is to make sure your hardware doesn't support Feren OS 64-Bit first (if it does then reinstall using the 64-Bit version and you will not have to worry about the cut-off dates for 32-Bit Feren OS anymore), and if it does not support Feren OS 64-Bit then to do one of these two actions:
If you're using the 'Non-LTS Update Channel', you can continue to use it, however when Ubuntu 19.04 reaches End-of-life (there will be indication in one way or another of this when Ubuntu 19.04 is near to reaching End Of Life) then the best thing you can do is reinstall Feren OS 32-Bit so that you are back on an LTS Base (if you do not then your Feren OS 32-Bit install will EOL prematurely).
- Purchase newer hardware - most hardware is 64-Bit supported these years, so make sure you get hardware that has 64-Bit capabilities and then install Feren OS 64-Bit on that hardware, transfer everything from the 32-Bit Feren OS machine to the new machine and you should no longer need to worry about the 32-Bit cut-off dates after that is done.
- Upgrade your hardware - simply upgrade your hardware in your machine so that it is 64-Bit capable and then reinstall Feren OS using the 64-Bit version, and done, if you know how to upgrade your hardware to be 64-Bit capable.
If you're using the 'Non-LTS Update Channel', you can continue to use it, however when Ubuntu 19.04 reaches End-of-life (there will be indication in one way or another of this when Ubuntu 19.04 is near to reaching End Of Life) then the best thing you can do is reinstall Feren OS 32-Bit so that you are back on an LTS Base (if you do not then your Feren OS 32-Bit install will EOL prematurely).
What happens when the Ubuntu base available on Feren OS 32-bit reaches end-of-life after the cut-off date?
Unfortunately, in the inevitable event that support ends for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS in 2023 (also known as reaching end-of-life), the following will happen:
By the way, when an Ubuntu base EOLs while used in Feren OS, your Feren OS will not immediately stop working entirely, but instead you will be unable to update past the last updates made for that Ubuntu base due to Ubuntu and Feren OS updates no longer being made for your Ubuntu base at this point.
- Feren OS 32-Bit ISOs will then be pulled from the website and will be put in the 'Feren OS Graveyard' page on SourceForge
- Any updates for Feren OS 32-Bit will stop being delivered outside of the updates released before the EOL date, that includes security updates, application updates and more.
- Feren OS 32-Bit will switch over Ubuntu repositories (via an update) to the archived repository for that Ubuntu base (old-releases.ubuntu.com)
- Extra PPAs will be removed entirely as they get discontinued
- Eventually all repositories outside of the archived Ubuntu repository and the Feren OS Repository will be removed from 32-Bit Feren OS
By the way, when an Ubuntu base EOLs while used in Feren OS, your Feren OS will not immediately stop working entirely, but instead you will be unable to update past the last updates made for that Ubuntu base due to Ubuntu and Feren OS updates no longer being made for your Ubuntu base at this point.
How will I know when the cut-off dates happen?
For the cut-off dates, I will post on the following areas about the dates when they are confirmed and announced:
These cut-off dates will be announced separately as they are revealed, and will be the following:
- Feren Community Discord
- @Feren_OS on Twitter
- YouTube
These cut-off dates will be announced separately as they are revealed, and will be the following:
- Future Major Updates for Feren OS 32-Bit cut-off date - April 2020 (date to be announced)
- Support for Feren OS 32-Bit complete cut-off date - 2023 (month and date to be announced)
I hope this clears up any worries or confusion there might be with the Feren OS 32-Bit support cut-off dates and I hope you will join the Feren OS community once more on 64-Bit hardware!
Either way, with this information out of the way, please upgrade or replace your hardware so that it can run the Feren OS 64-Bit version (the default download option on Get It) as soon as possible so that you do not risk getting caught out by the support cut-off date.
Thanks for reading and I hope to see the Feren OS 32-Bit users on Feren OS 64-Bit in the future! Apologies for any inconvenience caused by this.
Either way, with this information out of the way, please upgrade or replace your hardware so that it can run the Feren OS 64-Bit version (the default download option on Get It) as soon as possible so that you do not risk getting caught out by the support cut-off date.
Thanks for reading and I hope to see the Feren OS 32-Bit users on Feren OS 64-Bit in the future! Apologies for any inconvenience caused by this.