CRUX-i686

Reviving CRUX for legacy 32-bit systems

This project provides a root filesystem image and a set of port overlays that bring back i686 (32-bit x86) support to the minimalist CRUX Linux distribution.
It is intended for hobbyists, retrocomputing enthusiasts, and anyone who still has reliable old hardware capable of running a lightweight and source-based Linux system.

Download the root filesystem:
crux-i686-3.8.rootfs.tar.xz

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Overview

CRUX officially targets the x86-64 architecture, and official 32-bit support was dropped after version 3.5.
The CRUX-i686 project reintroduces a functional i686 environment based on CRUX 3.8, marking the first unofficial i686 release since CRUX 3.5.

This release includes:

• A prebuilt root filesystem:
  crux-i686-3.8.rootfs.tar.xz – a minimal CRUX 3.8 base system bootable on i686 CPUs.
• Architecture-specific port overlays:
  • core-i686 — base system ports adapted for i686
  • opt-i686 — optional and userland software ports
  • xorg-i686 — X.Org and graphical environment ports

These overlays contain adjusted Pkgfiles and build options tuned for the i686 instruction set and older toolchains.
They come preinstalled and preconfigured in the crux-i686-3.8.rootfs.tar.xz image.

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Target Audience

• Legacy PCs and laptops (Pentium III, Pentium M, early Atom, VIA C3, etc.)
• Retro or embedded x86 systems
• Users who prefer source-based, minimal Linux systems

CRUX-i686 aims to stay close to the upstream CRUX philosophy — simple, transparent, and minimal — while keeping older hardware usable.

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Installation

1. Prepare the environment

You can deploy CRUX-i686 in a VM, chroot, or directly on hardware that supports i686.

Example (for a chroot or disk install):

curl -sS -L -O https://github.com/sepen/crux-i686/releases/download/3.8/crux-3.8.i686.rootfs.tar.xz
sudo tar xvf crux-i686-3.8.rootfs.tar.xz -C /mnt
sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
sudo mount --bind /run /mnt/run
sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
sudo chroot /mnt /bin/bash

2. Configure port collections

Edit /etc/prt-get.conf and add the i686 overlays before the default collections so that they take precedence:

prtdir /usr/ports/core-i686
prtdir /usr/ports/opt-i686
prtdir /usr/ports/xorg-i686
prtdir /usr/ports/core
prtdir /usr/ports/opt
prtdir /usr/ports/xorg

Then sync and update:

ports -u
prt-get sysup

3. Build and install software

Use the regular CRUX tools (prt-get, pkgmk, etc.) to build packages. The overlays ensure proper compiler flags and dependencies for 32-bit systems.

Example:

prt-get update -fr gcc

Notes on compatibility

• This CRUX-i686 3.8 release is unofficial — not supported by the CRUX core team.
• It is the first community-maintained i686 release since CRUX 3.5.
• Some modern packages may fail to build due to upstream dropping i686 support.
• When no port exists in an i686 overlay, the default (x86-64) port is used as fallback — manual fixes may be required.
• Use at your own risk; feedback and patches are welcome.

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Philosophy

“Keep it simple.” — CRUX motto

CRUX-i686 follows the same ideals as upstream CRUX:

• No unnecessary patches
• Transparent build process
• Easy to understand and maintain system layout

This project’s only deviation is architecture support, not philosophy.

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License

All CRUX base ports remain under their respective upstream licenses. Overlay modifications and scripts are released under the GPLv3 License.

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Credits

• CRUX Linux Team
• CRUX-ARM project — inspiration for overlay design
• Community maintainers and retro-hardware enthusiasts