Hello,

This is not really a problem as such, merely a request for input and
interesting anecdotes: I am currently running an x86 sid on a Sempron
based machine. On one hand, I am happy with it because just about
everything I could ever need installs without a problem; on the other
hand, it feels like a waste not to run an amd64 kernel.

I have used this very machine with an amd64 kernel under Gentoo, but
it was a bit of a hassle: I do like things like Flash or the Java
plugin and while I managed to get all of them to run, it did turn out
to be a bit of a hassle to figure out what compatibility libraries to
use and to get everything to cooperate nicely with the 64-bit
libraries.

I don't do anything that needs vast computing power - I mostly use
that machine for web browsing, email and the occasional movie, all of
which works quite nicely with the x86 kernel and libraries. Is there
any good reason to switch to an amd64 kernel and if so, would I be
setting myself up for major headaches?

Any input will be much appreciated.
Thanks,
-juergen

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFFtMtBvKOJTPSBKa0RAtDGAJwMbTwoWlFUNibhtE8ce3 e7AZvXGwCfYm0T
iJ7Aya6jkMljQsshUy6ORcc=
=Xh83
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On 01/22/07 08:33, Juergen Fiedler wrote:
> Hello,
>
> This is not really a problem as such, merely a request for input and
> interesting anecdotes: I am currently running an x86 sid on a Sempron
> based machine. On one hand, I am happy with it because just about
> everything I could ever need installs without a problem; on the other
> hand, it feels like a waste not to run an amd64 kernel.
>
> I have used this very machine with an amd64 kernel under Gentoo, but
> it was a bit of a hassle: I do like things like Flash or the Java
> plugin and while I managed to get all of them to run, it did turn out
> to be a bit of a hassle to figure out what compatibility libraries to
> use and to get everything to cooperate nicely with the 64-bit
> libraries.
>
> I don't do anything that needs vast computing power - I mostly use
> that machine for web browsing, email and the occasional movie, all of
> which works quite nicely with the x86 kernel and libraries. Is there
> any good reason to switch to an amd64 kernel and if so, would I be
> setting myself up for major headaches?

For a home user, doing "home things" and only probably 1GB or less
of RAM, and the aforementioned hassles running Flash (and acroread),
I vote: stay with i386.

OTOH, if this were your *workstation*, and you were doing lots of
compiling, or running statistical analyses, etc, etc, etc, then go
with amd64.

It goes without saying that you should go amd64 on your servers.

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFFtM1lS9HxQb37XmcRAgg5AKDMrRFU5Eovh1Ta74ks6U Nqn8MENgCgmpmw
MgCyrLqEIOdA9DHk/YX8uAQ=
=Gbxt
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

Hello Juergen,

you may post your request to the Debian amd64 list:

debian-amd64@lists.debian.org

As a get a new laptop (MacBook), I have switched to amd64 recently:
if you are looking for mutilmedia stuffs (working pluggins for iceweal, java)
(as your email let think), I think that amd64 stuff is not yet mature enough:
you may wait a little bit (my guess is that the time scale is month).
My laptop is mainly meant to develop piece of code to crunch numbers and formula:
everything is fine for this.

``If unsure, say no.''

hth,
Jerome

Juergen Fiedler wrote:
> Hello,
>
> This is not really a problem as such, merely a request for input and
> interesting anecdotes: I am currently running an x86 sid on a Sempron
> based machine. On one hand, I am happy with it because just about
> everything I could ever need installs without a problem; on the other
> hand, it feels like a waste not to run an amd64 kernel.
>
> I have used this very machine with an amd64 kernel under Gentoo, but
> it was a bit of a hassle: I do like things like Flash or the Java
> plugin and while I managed to get all of them to run, it did turn out
> to be a bit of a hassle to figure out what compatibility libraries to
> use and to get everything to cooperate nicely with the 64-bit
> libraries.
>
> I don't do anything that needs vast computing power - I mostly use
> that machine for web browsing, email and the occasional movie, all of
> which works quite nicely with the x86 kernel and libraries. Is there
> any good reason to switch to an amd64 kernel and if so, would I be
> setting myself up for major headaches?
>
> Any input will be much appreciated.
> Thanks,
> -juergen

--
Jerome BENOIT
jgmbenoit_at_mailsnare_dot_net


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

On Mon January 22 2007 06:33, Juergen Fiedler wrote:

> I don't do anything that needs vast computing power - I mostly use
> that machine for web browsing, email and the occasional movie, all of
> which works quite nicely with the x86 kernel and libraries. Is there
> any good reason to switch to an amd64 kernel and if so, would I be
> setting myself up for major headaches?

I would stay with a 32bit kernel if your running the i386 distro, more of a
gut feeling than a scientific fact.. You could install the -amd64 kernel
and just experiment with it to see how it goes. Keep your current kernel also
just in case it doesn't work the way you'd like it to.

I run the amd64 distro myself and at this point the only thing I miss is the
flash player. I just can't get flash working on this box but it doesn't
bother me (much) so I just live without it. In the early days of the amd64
distro I missed OOo also but that is there in etch now and it works well in
my experience.

Multi-Media may not work as well on amd64 as it does on i386 but it works for
everything I need so I'm happy. I can play mp3 and ogg files (as well as wma
when I need to) so I'm happy. The differences between amd64 and i386 are few
at this point.

Adobe says they are working on a 64bit flash player so it will be there at
some point, it seems to be slow coming but it is coming.. There is work on
gnash also for flash support. I wouldn't be surprised if gnash came through
before adobe but we'll have to wait and see.


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

On Mon, 2007-01-22 at 08:42 -0600, Ron Johnson wrote:
>
> For a home user, doing "home things" and only probably 1GB or less
> of RAM, and the aforementioned hassles running Flash (and acroread),
> I vote: stay with i386.
>
> OTOH, if this were your *workstation*, and you were doing lots of
> compiling, or running statistical analyses, etc, etc, etc, then go
> with amd64.
>
> It goes without saying that you should go amd64 on your servers.

Hmm, I say that the workload and specific tasks determine 32-bit or
64-bit. Servers in general can be either.

I have an HP Proliant DL145 G2 with an Opteron. I am running a -k7
kernel on this machine. IOW 32-Bit Debian Sid, not 64-Bit. I see many
applications having bit-alignment errors in 64-bit environments. This
then increases problems in unexpected areas. When I run into a
requirement, I'll switch.

But, there many reasons to go with 64-bit, massive memory requirements,
tremendous processing, tons of IO... in general extreme requirements,
require 64-bit environments at the moment.
--
greg, greg@gregfolkert.net

The technology that is
Stronger, better, faster: Linux

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQBFtNYY7WZpcbUkaHwRAkk8AKCI913Wi3W7a+vcZeJoQn zTJkErVgCdE9Uh
Kko9qrTLVL7TmuGcUKQesMQ=
=uBJo
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On 01/22/07 09:19, Greg Folkert wrote:
> On Mon, 2007-01-22 at 08:42 -0600, Ron Johnson wrote:
>> For a home user, doing "home things" and only probably 1GB or less
>> of RAM, and the aforementioned hassles running Flash (and acroread),
>> I vote: stay with i386.
>>
>> OTOH, if this were your *workstation*, and you were doing lots of
>> compiling, or running statistical analyses, etc, etc, etc, then go
>> with amd64.
>>
>> It goes without saying that you should go amd64 on your servers.
>
> Hmm, I say that the workload and specific tasks determine 32-bit or
> 64-bit. Servers in general can be either.
>
> I have an HP Proliant DL145 G2 with an Opteron. I am running a -k7
> kernel on this machine. IOW 32-Bit Debian Sid, not 64-Bit. I see many
> applications having bit-alignment errors in 64-bit environments. This

Bit alignment??? Never heard of it.

Or byte alignment? That would be a compiler bug.

> then increases problems in unexpected areas. When I run into a
> requirement, I'll switch.
>
> But, there many reasons to go with 64-bit, massive memory requirements,
> tremendous processing, tons of IO... in general extreme requirements,
> require 64-bit environments at the moment.

Even apps not needing extreme requirements benefit from the extra
registers in 64 bit mode.

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFFtNl8S9HxQb37XmcRAkvKAJsGKBsuOsKwiv+W8lY1pI CK0jDJVACgi4bW
LHjhbrMwRkhVt/D8vclCs4Q=
=qRP1
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

On Mon, Jan 22, 2007 at 09:33:37AM -0500, Juergen Fiedler wrote:
>
> This is not really a problem as such, merely a request for input and
> interesting anecdotes: I am currently running an x86 sid on a Sempron
> based machine. On one hand, I am happy with it because just about
> everything I could ever need installs without a problem; on the other
> hand, it feels like a waste not to run an amd64 kernel.
>
> I have used this very machine with an amd64 kernel under Gentoo, but
> it was a bit of a hassle: I do like things like Flash or the Java
> plugin and while I managed to get all of them to run, it did turn out
> to be a bit of a hassle to figure out what compatibility libraries to
> use and to get everything to cooperate nicely with the 64-bit
> libraries.
>
> I don't do anything that needs vast computing power - I mostly use
> that machine for web browsing, email and the occasional movie, all of
> which works quite nicely with the x86 kernel and libraries. Is there
> any good reason to switch to an amd64 kernel and if so, would I be
> setting myself up for major headaches?
>

Hi Juergen

I run Etch amd64 on my Athlon. I figured it'd be a waste not to. On
the other hand, I'm on dial-up so disable flash anyway. Javascript in
the web browser works fine. I haven't run into anything that needs the
32-bit stuff so don't have a chroot.

I watch DVDs using VLC. It great. I don't know how it would be under
32-bit.

My vote would be: if you need flash and the 32-bit libs/chroot/or
whatever it is doesn't work for you, then go with i386. Otherwise, go
with amd64.

Doug.


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org