i386
Proper noun
Meaning
i386
(computing) The Intel 80386 (i386) processor.
The 32-bit version of the x86 instruction set architecture, first used on this model of processor (earlier x86 processors used the 16-bit version of the x86 architecture).
Some Linux distros have stopped releasing i386 versions of their releases, given that practically everybody now uses devices with 64-bit-capable processors.
Synonyms
Examples
As of this writing, the mini.iso for both amd64 and i386 do not include EFI bootable binaries.
If you have any need for 32-bit programs on a 64-bit system, then lots of library packages need to be installed for 32-bit support (denoted by "(i386)" in the package name) in addition to their native 64-bit versions.
For the personal computer market, real quantities started to appear around 1990 with i386 and i486 compatible processors, often named similarly to Intel's original chips.
In figure on the left you can see an example of such an unintentional instance of the i386 jmp esp instruction.
Later, backends for i386 and SPARC were available.
Compatibles Intel i386 packaged by IBM *The AMD Am386SX and Am386DX were almost exact clones of the 80386SX and 80386DX.