Arnd Bergmann has submitted thirteen patches to remove deprecated 32-bit Arm platform code from the Linux kernel, with the changes planned for the 7.4 release, expected between December 2026 and January 2027. This move aims to streamline the kernel by removing support for older, less-used hardware while accommodating newer technologies.
The proposed removal affects several platforms, including SA1100 boards, the Acorn RiscPC, Footbridge, legacy PXA boards, Orion, Dove, MV78xx0 boards, OMAP24xx, i.MX31, no-MMU i.MX chips, LPC18xx, Axxia, STM32F4, F7 and H7 microcontrollers, Versatile MPS2, and AT91 SAMV7. Bergmann clarified that devices running these platforms will no longer be able to run a mainline kernel from versions 7.4 or 7.5 onwards, as the necessary boot code will be deleted.
Bergmann, who has been working towards this goal for years, apologized for a nearly two-year delay in revisiting the effort, noting that the total cleanup now encompasses around 300 patches. This initial series focuses on removing the arch/arm/mach-* code and associated Kconfig elements. While acknowledging that some individuals and organizations still utilize these older systems, Bergmann has left the door open for discussion and potential objections before the drivers are removed.
This change comes as the Linux kernel continues to evolve, recently gaining support for new Arm-powered chips such as Apple’s M3 Pro, Max, and Ultra, Samsung’s Exynos 1580, and Qualcomm’s Shikra. Linus Torvalds has previously advocated for removing outdated code, questioning the continued support for the i486 CPU series and stating in 2025 there was “no real reason” to develop for that platform. It is anticipated he will approve these removals unless significant issues are raised.
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