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Consider dropping Windows 32-bit (ia32) support from npm package #202

@leggetter

Description

@leggetter

Summary

The npm package currently builds and includes Windows 32-bit (ia32/386) binaries, but this architecture is increasingly obsolete and untested.

Current State

  • Windows 32-bit binaries are built and included in the npm package
  • No CI testing: GitHub Actions doesn't provide 32-bit Windows runners, so these binaries are never tested at runtime
  • Architecture is verified at build time (PE32 vs PE32+), but actual execution is untested

Reasons to Consider Dropping

  1. Windows 11 has no 32-bit version - Microsoft dropped 32-bit support entirely
  2. Windows 10 32-bit is <1% of installs - Extremely rare in developer environments
  3. No CI coverage - Cannot test the binaries actually work
  4. Reduces npm package size - One fewer binary to ship
  5. Simplifies maintenance - Less surface area to maintain

Reasons to Keep

  1. Legacy enterprise environments - Some may still use 32-bit Windows
  2. Node.js still supports ia32 - Official Node.js builds include ia32
  3. Removing could break existing users - Even if few

Recommendation

Consider removing Windows 32-bit support in a future major version, with advance notice in release notes.

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