[mdlug] opensuse 64 bit vrs 32 bit advantages speed etc.

[Raymond McLaughlin]

Aaron Kulkis wrote:
> 
> First, I'll give you my relevant familiarity with
> this issue: in the commercial sector, I administrated
> machines with 64-bit OS installs as far back as 10
> years ago.  At that time, there were three options:
> 
> 1) buy 32-bit hardware, install 32-bit OS and run 32-bit code.
> or
> 2) buy 64-bit hardware, install 64-bit OS and run ONLY 64-bit code.
> or
> 3) buy 64-bit hardware, install 32-bit OS and run ONLY 32-bit code.
> 
> When AMD released the AMD-64 a couple years ago, a
> fourth option became available:
> 
> 4) buy 64-bit hardware, install 64-bit OS and run
>     both 32-bit and 64-bit code.
> 
> I *believe* that AMD is the only CPU manufacturer
> with a product that provides option (4)  -- they
> MIGHT have licensed the technology to Intel (if
> needed for 2nd-source obligations to secure one
> or more government contracts), or not -- I really
> don't know for certain.

Option 4 is a available on *some* Intel 64 bit processors.
My off the cuff recollection is that when Intel first entered the 64 bit
market their product, codenamed Itanic^h_um was a fresh new architecture
with no backwards compatibility, and thus unencumbered with concerns
about supporting legacy code.

Some what later (or about the same time) AMD introduced their Opteron
(codenamed sledgehammer) processor with it's 64 extension of the the x86
command set.

While Intel's Itanium processor, failed to gain traction in the market
AMD's Opteron, did catch on. After a year or so (??) Intel had to admit
that they had missed the mark in the high-end to mainstream market. They
made whatever licensing deal they had to and began making their own
chips with their own implementation of the 64 bit AMD command set. I
think this is why x86_64 binary packages are often labeled as AMD_64.

Having thus discussed what we think we remember, let us now read up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itanic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opteron

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_64

(Last month I actually slogged through the wikipedia entries on the
entire x86 line of processors. This is the next logical step)

> 
>                =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> 
> Now, for todays Linux situation... even if your
> hardware allows option (4):
> 
> A lot of web-browser plugins do not yet have
> 64-bit versions....and a 32-bit plugin WILL NOT
> run properly in a 64-bit browser.  Many people
> who have 64-bit installations are complaining
> that they can't view Adobe Flash content, and
> other similar problems.

I looked into this specifically before I installed the 64 bit openSuSE.
I was satisfied that there were suitable work around befoe installing.
Afterwards I found that OpenSuSE handled it gracefully, I'm not sure
how, but it is the 64 bit firefox, and flash does work. Thanks to
Lorenzo Colitti and Philip Chee for flashblock!

> 
>                 =-=-=-=-=-=-=
> 
> Basically, the 64-bit platform is not yet ready for
> general purpose computing -- it fulfills certain
> niche areas (massive finite element analysis,
> extremely large database operations, etc) but has
> not yet been completed in many areas.
> 
> Even on AMD-64 chips, which can run 32-bit code
> in a 64-bit platform (the only CPUs I know of which
> are capable of doing this), there are currently
> a lot of problems still.
> 
> Unless you have some bleeding-edge NEED for
> 64-bit code, my advise is to wait until this
> mess is all sorted out -- it's probably going
> to take another 12 - 24 months.  Personally, I
> don't need the frustration, and NOTHING that I
> do would benefit significantly from 64-bit install,
> but a lot would be degraded significantly if I
> were to go that route at this time.

I disagree with this assessment. I would have had more validity 18
months ago but the software has matured in that time, and of late you
would really need to go out of your way to buy a 32 bit machine, eg
closeouts and refurbs. Aguablu good enough for now, but also closer to
the end of its life cycle and support cycle.

And on a x86_64 machine you could install 32 bit everything and be
happy, or provided your distro carefully (I can vouch for openSuSE) you
can install 64 bit and be just as happy and arguably better off for
having made the transition.

Raymond McLaughlin