i686 ---> i586, i386 ---> i586, x86_64 stays the same

[psmith]

drago01 wrote:
> On Sun, Apr 5, 2009 at 9:15 PM, Antonio Olivares
> <olivares14031 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>   
>> Dear fellow testers,
>>
>> I am sorry to ask, but I read about the changes on i686 moving to i586 and the i386 packages to i586. �I had known prior to this that
>>
>> i686 ---> Pentium computer PIII, PIV, Intel based CPU
>> i586 ---> AMD athlon, other AMD capable computer
>> x86_64 �---> AMD 64 capable CPU or similar processor
>>
>> The default 32-bit x86 target in koji would be changed from i386 to i586
>> http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/ArchitectureSupport
>>
>> I assume this is only temporary as after this release it will go back to i686 right?
>>
>> The other distributions I am familiar with that used i586 packages are OpenSUSE and Mandriva namely. �This only makes me confused as the i586 packages are optimized for AMD processors and the i686 packages for Intel based CPU's like Pentium III/IV.
>>
>> I am only a bit confused with this and if someone can help me undestand better I would appreciate it very much :)
>>     
>
> ix68 has nothing to do with the cpu vendor (AMD, INTEL, VIA)
> it just means the minimum required instruction set that is needed for
> the software to run.
> i586 means "Pentium or older"
>
>   
i completely understand the reasoning to move i365 up to i586, but why 
on earth restrict i686 capable processors to the i586 instruction sets?


phil