Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard
[Yeo Kheng Meng] had a question: what is the oldest x86 processor that is still supported by a modern Linux kernel? Furthermore, is it actually possible to use modern software with this processor? It's a question that surely involves experimentation, staring into the bluescreen abyss of BIOS configurations, and compiling your own kernel. Considering Linux dropped support for the 386 in 2012, the obvious answer is a 486. This supposition was tested, and the results are fantastic. You can, indeed, install a modern Linux on an ancient desktop.
Source: https://hackaday.com/2018/01/07/go-retro-to-build-a-spectre-and-meltdown-proof-x86-desktop/
(Score: 2, Interesting) by jshmlr on Wednesday January 10 2018, @12:05PM
Get ready to cash in some *coins, the nostalgia index has inflated the prices on retro rigs. Machines had for a tenner a few years ago at the local yard sale can now put you back 3 digits on eBay. Great for closet cleaners, salty for tinkerers and collectors.
Need nothing, then see what happens.