SparkyLinux 8.4 rekindles support for 32-bit PCs

Nearly a year after discontinuing 32-bit installation images, SparkyLinux 8.4 has reintroduced support for 32-bit PCs. The Linux distribution continues to be based on Debian 13 and carries the moniker Seven Sisters. The Register previously reviewed SparkyLinux in 2015 and again in 2017. Apart from the updates from Debian 12 to Debian 13, this version does not exhibit significant differences.

The team behind SparkyLinux provides updates in Polish if desired. The operating system can be downloaded in rolling-release and stable editions, and users can select from LXQt, MATE, Xfce, KDE, a minimal command-line version, and a minimal GUI version with Openbox. All versions incorporate Sparky's enhanced package manager, Aptus.

Sparky 8.4 is not the first Debian-based distribution to offer a 32-bit variant; Window Maker Live 13.2 and antiX 26 come to mind. After testing the 64-bit LXQt version of SparkyLinux 8.4 using the Calamares installer, we proceeded to install the 32-bit minimal GUI edition. Unlike the previous edition, this version requires a command-line installer.

The installation process is straightforward, involving numerous locale and keyboard layout questions, ultimately presenting a comprehensive selection of desktop environments. The installation was successful on a VirtualBox 32-bit VM with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of disk space, consuming only 6.9 GB of storage and 259 MB of memory. SparkyLinux 8.4 comes with Linux kernel 6.12 by default, similar to its 64-bit counterpart.

The 32-bit edition also uses systemd, just like Debian. Firefox 140 ESR, a 32-bit build supplied by Sparky, is compatible and functions without issues. This update may prove beneficial for older Atom-powered netbooks or similar machines, as well as small VMs, thanks to the smaller memory footprint of 32-bit code.