[gentoo-user] 64bit vs 32bit

On 6/16/06, Catalin Trifu <catalin.DeleteThis@isp-software.de> wrote:
> Hi,
>
>
> I am planning to buy a new machine and lately I was thinking about
> a AMD64 X2 4800+ 2GB RAM.
> Is it worth to install 64bit linux or should I go for 32. As I have read
> there are issues with video stuff, flash player.
> This machine is for work and entertainment. I don't like the idea of a
> 32bit chroot if it's too much of a hassle to set it up.

Just from the technical side of things, AMD64 architecture is fully
compatible with 32-bit applications. You can install a 32-bit app in
a 64-bit OS (but not the other way around : (

I'd suggest the amd64 OS, though if you can't decide, I'd just throw
in the towel and dual-boot.

Also, using a 64-bit app is only going to get you about a ten percent
performance increase, according to benchmarking studies of people with
more money than I have. It's ultimately up to you, but if I were you,
I'd take the adventurous route and go 64-bit - just for the heck of
it. However, I don't know enough about your wants and needs to be
able to reccommend something like that.

Do what you want: that's the entire point. I can only supply
information, not make the choice for you (unless you'd like me to, but
I can't guarantee that I can help if something goes wrong).

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On Friday 16 June 2006 21:15, Catalin Trifu wrote:
> Hi,
>
>
> I am planning to buy a new machine and lately I was thinking about
> a AMD64 X2 4800+ 2GB RAM.
> Is it worth to install 64bit linux or should I go for 32. As I have
> read there are issues with video stuff, flash player.
> This machine is for work and entertainment. I don't like the idea of a
> 32bit chroot if it's too much of a hassle to set it up.
>

you don't need a chroot.

Just emerge firefox-bin for flash
and
mplayer-bin for wmv files.

Everything else does not make problems.
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On Monday 19 June 2006 14:02, Pete Pardoe wrote:

> on a 64 bit system through the use of 32 bit bins but there are still a lot
> of the more exotic apps that are not available in the 64 bit world.

which one?
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Am Montag, 19. Juni 2006 14:23 schrieb Hemmann, Volker Armin:
> On Monday 19 June 2006 14:02, Pete Pardoe wrote:
> > on a 64 bit system through the use of 32 bit bins but there are still a
> > lot of the more exotic apps that are not available in the 64 bit world.
>
> which one?

Well... There are still some games, for instance, even open source ones.
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On Monday 19 June 2006 14:35, Gian Domeni Calgeer wrote:
> Am Montag, 19. Juni 2006 14:23 schrieb Hemmann, Volker Armin:
> > On Monday 19 June 2006 14:02, Pete Pardoe wrote:
> > > on a 64 bit system through the use of 32 bit bins but there are still a
> > > lot of the more exotic apps that are not available in the 64 bit world.
> >
> > which one?
>
> Well... There are still some games, for instance, even open source ones.

and which ones?

I have ut2004, vegastrike, wesnoth, triplea, byfoot and several others
installed.
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Am Montag, 19. Juni 2006 15:54 schrieb Hemmann, Volker Armin:
> On Monday 19 June 2006 14:35, Gian Domeni Calgeer wrote:
> > Am Montag, 19. Juni 2006 14:23 schrieb Hemmann, Volker Armin:
> > > On Monday 19 June 2006 14:02, Pete Pardoe wrote:
> > > > on a 64 bit system through the use of 32 bit bins but there are still
> > > > a lot of the more exotic apps that are not available in the 64 bit
> > > > world.
> > >
> > > which one?
> >
> > Well... There are still some games, for instance, even open source ones.
>
> and which ones?

For instance Abuse_SDL or slune is not available, and there are lots which are
keyworded on AMD64 but not on x86.
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Hemmann, Volker Armin wrote:
>
> you don't need a chroot.
>
> Just emerge firefox-bin for flash
> and
> mplayer-bin for wmv files.
>
> Everything else does not make problems.

Depending on the video files you'd like to decode 32bit can make a
difference. Many of the stranger codecs are supported through the win32
codecs which are not 64bit safe or at least that's what I've read. I'd
assume that qt, mp4, and wmv would generally be okay.

kashani
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On Monday 19 June 2006 20:26, kashani wrote:
> Hemmann, Volker Armin wrote:
> > you don't need a chroot.
> >
> > Just emerge firefox-bin for flash
> > and
> > mplayer-bin for wmv files.
> >
> > Everything else does not make problems.
>
> Depending on the video files you'd like to decode 32bit can make a
> difference. Many of the stranger codecs are supported through the win32
> codecs which are not 64bit safe or at least that's what I've read. I'd
> assume that qt, mp4, and wmv would generally be okay.

and this 'strange' codecs are covered by mplayer-bin too.
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My understanding is that the major advantage of the 64-bit processors
is for memory address space (>4Gigs of virtual memory space without
PAE, technically 48 bits of address space, which is something like
128Terrabytes of addressable memory).

There must be some advantage associated with being able to hold two
long ints in one register (or some such relationship there). Anyone
know detailed explanations for situations where 64-bit is more/less
beneficial and why?

--Mike

On 6/19/06, Hemmann, Volker Armin <volker.armin.hemmann RemoveThis @tu-clausthal.de> wrote:
> On Monday 19 June 2006 20:26, kashani wrote:
> > Hemmann, Volker Armin wrote:
> > > you don't need a chroot.
> > >
> > > Just emerge firefox-bin for flash
> > > and
> > > mplayer-bin for wmv files.
> > >
> > > Everything else does not make problems.
> >
> > Depending on the video files you'd like to decode 32bit can make a
> > difference. Many of the stranger codecs are supported through the win32
> > codecs which are not 64bit safe or at least that's what I've read. I'd
> > assume that qt, mp4, and wmv would generally be okay.
>
> and this 'strange' codecs are covered by mplayer-bin too.
> --
> gentoo-user RemoveThis @gentoo.org mailing list
>
>
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On Wednesday 21 June 2006 07:26, Mike Huber wrote:
> My understanding is that the major advantage of the 64-bit processors
> is for memory address space (>4Gigs of virtual memory space without
> PAE, technically 48 bits of address space, which is something like
> 128Terrabytes of addressable memory).
>
> There must be some advantage associated with being able to hold two
> long ints in one register (or some such relationship there). Anyone
> know detailed explanations for situations where 64-bit is more/less
> beneficial and why?
>

large numbers?

but the 64bit amd extension is really, really helpfull, when you need
registers. The additional registers are a huge advantage and can give you a
nice boost.

Can, not have too - it depends on the task and how the software was compiled.
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