Linux kernel maintainers are following through on removing Intel 486 support (arstechnica.com)

Linux kernel maintainers are progressing toward dropping built-in support for Intel’s 486 CPUs, with commits indicating Linux 7.1 will be the first release that can’t be built with 486 support. The change is intended to remove aging x86 emulation/compatibility code that benefits very few users and can cause maintenance problems. Users who still rely on 486-era systems will need to stay on older kernels or use vintage/vendor-supported operating environments, while most modern Linux distributions won’t be affected.