# Linux kernel patches propose disabling x32 ABI after 14 years of limited use

> **Key takeaway:** Kernel developer Sebastian Andrzej Siewior submitted a revised patch series on October 8, 2026 that would place CONFIG_X86_X32_ABI behind the BROKEN dependency, preventing normal kernel builds from enabling the x32 ABI.

**Published:** 2026-10-08T16:00:00+00:00 
**Source:** Linux Journal 
**Category:** distro-news 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/linux-kernel-patches-propose-disabling-x32-abi-after-14-year.html 

## Summary
Linux kernel developers are taking concrete steps to retire the x32 ABI, a niche ILP32 compatibility layer introduced in 2012 that runs x86_64 code with 32-bit pointers. A new patch series from Linutronix developer Sebastian Andrzej Siewior would make the feature unselectable through normal kernel configuration by adding a BROKEN dependency, giving remaining users and distribution maintainers advance notice before eventual code removal. The x32 ABI never achieved mainstream adoption despite its theoretical memory-efficiency benefits for pointer-heavy workloads.

## How the staged removal would work
- The patch targets **CONFIG_X86_X32_ABI**, the kernel symbol controlling x32 application execution support
- The proposed change adds **depends on BROKEN**, making the option invisible to normal configuration tools like menuconfig
- This is a **staged approach**: disabling selection first, deleting implementation code later
- x32 uses **ILP32** data model: 32-bit int, long, and pointers, but runs in **64-bit CPU execution mode** with full x86_64 register file
- The ABI was introduced in **Linux 3.4 (2012)** and requires special handling in system calls, data structures, and compatibility paths throughout the kernel

## Why it matters
Few distributions still ship x32 packages, so most users will be unaffected. For the kernel maintainership, removing the ABI would eliminate a persistent maintenance burden across system-call compatibility, security review, and testing matrices.