Bazzite would shut down if Fedora goes ahead with removing 32-bit

10 months ago

Fedora Linux is considering dropping 32-bit support, which could impact projects like Bazzite, a popular gaming-focused distribution.
Bazzite's creator, Kyle Gospodnetich, strongly opposes the change, stating it would force the project to shut down due to incompatibility with Steam and other gaming tools.
The proposal to drop 32-bit support is causing PR damage to Fedora, with users concerned about Steam and other applications no longer working.
Alternatives like Flatpak for Steam are not viable for Bazzite's use case, which relies on a custom gamescope session similar to SteamOS.
Valve's lack of a 64-bit Steam client for Linux is a significant hurdle, and Fedora's low market share on Steam means Valve may not prioritize fixing it.
Some suggest maintaining a minimal set of 32-bit packages for critical applications like Steam, similar to Ubuntu's approach.
OpenSUSE's model of maintaining legacy support in Tumbleweed while dropping it in Leap is cited as a potential compromise.
Debian is mentioned as a stable alternative for gaming, though it may not offer the same user experience as Bazzite.
The discussion highlights the tension between modernizing Fedora and supporting legacy applications, with no clear resolution yet.

Hasty Briefsbeta