What is the difference between i386, i486, i586, i686, i786

 

Ever wondered what are those words i386/i486/i586/i686/i786 that comes after the name of RPM / DEB packages?
When it comes to understanding the compatibility of a package between different architectures, knowing these terms become important. The above coined terms are Processor architectures. Let’s have a look below…
i386     -     Intel i386/80386   (in 1985)          or          AMD386 / AM386 (in 1991)
i486     -     Intel i486/80486   (in 1989)          or          AMD486 / AM486 (in 1993)
i586     -     Intel Pentium         (in 1993)          or          AMD-K5 (in 1996)
i686     -     Intel Pentium Pro (in 1995)          or          AMD-K6 (in 1997)
i786     -     Intel Pentium 4      (in 2000)          or          AMD-K7 (in 1999)