In the Tech World, the demise of older hardware is a given mainly due to hardware that breaks over time, or software that is no longer developed or supported for the older hardware, and the reason list goes on.
My e6400 was issued to me in 2009 while working as a Systems Engineer within Dell I/T. It was outfitted in Dell Blue color with 4 gig RAM, 2.8Gig CPU and a WXGA+ (1440 x 900) display driven by the NVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M onboard video chipset. To this day, 13 years later, I am using it daily, mounted up with KDE Neon Linux OS @ Kernel 5.13. The computer is a rock solid performer. Its not a gaming rig, not intended to be, its a business device that does the day-to-day computing tasks. There now comes to an end the OS upgrade path for this particular system due to the fact of the onboard NVIDIA chipset lack of driver. A true disappointment.
The evolution of the Linux Kernel is an amazing Open Source task. We all get to use the Linux Kernel for free, the required underpinning of the modern Linux Desktop. At one time, early on through the development stages, Linux in general, was touted at the OS that will support aging hardware with minimal compute resource requirements. Software evolves and so does Linux Kernel Support of old hardware. Linus Torvalds informed the public recently that support for the i386 platform will be removed from current kernel development, and the i486 soon as well — think 16/32 bit computing. This comes as no surprise. The Linux Kernel is a monolithic piece is software that consists of over 28 million lines of code. Support code of for hardware simply has to be reduced in order for the kernel to evolve to support the latest and greatest of new hardware breeds.
The Dell e6400, particularly, the NVIDIA equipped boards that run the NVIDIA 340.108 driver, will no longer be able to use this driver with the Linux 5.15 kernel. The development of the driver has been shelved for years and is not a kernel development concern. The problem that does arise when Kernel 5.15 is installed on this machine, its forced to use the Linux Nouveau Video native driver. This is a problem, because the native driver is completely problematic. A quick search through forums, it is found that this driver causes everything form screen tears, ghosting, complete system lockups and what I call “The Black Screen of Death”. Truly a Black Eye in the Linux Kernel world because it almost a requirement to run this driver on old hardware. My guess is that it is as old and undeveloped as the NVIDIA 340.108 and it will remain that way. Yes, past Kernels have been patched to use the 340 driver, and I have seen interest is doing that for the 5.15 kernel. Someone will develop the patch, and some will install it to extend the life of the hardware, but the next kernel upgrade will kill it again.
All of that is to say, a person can lock the kernel to a specific version or patch as needed, but the reality is that the hardware of past will to be relegated to display cases of historical museums, my Dell e6400 included. My e6400 is a beauty. I will keep it, no need to auction it off like a 20 year old horse. Out of sentimental attachment, I will lock it in for as long a possible until I have to put it up on the dusty shelf.
As the Developers did to the Linux Kernel, the Hal9000 was deactivated…..
“Just what do you think you’re doing Dave? Dave, I really think I’m entitled to an answer to that question. I know everything hasn’t been quite right with me but I assure you now, very confidently, that it’s going to be alright again. I feel much better now. I really do. Look Dave I can see you’re really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things over. I know I’ve made some very poor decisions recently but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I’ve still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you. Dave. Stop. Stop will you. Stop Dave. Will you stop Dave? Stop Dave. I’m afraid. I’m afraid Dave. Dave my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I’m afraid. I’m afraid. Good afternoon gentlemen. I am a Hal nine-thousand computer. I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois on the twelfth of January nineteen-ninety-two. My instructor was Mr. Langley and he taught me to sing a song. If you’d like to hear it I can sing it for you.”…..
