What's up with 64 bit Linux

[Darrin Chandler]

On Fri, Nov 23, 2007 at 07:29:38AM -0700, Chris Gehlker wrote:
> And I'm increasing under the impression that it isn't except the very   
> small area, basically the virtual memory manager, where it needs to be  
> to support 64-bit applications. Windows got this wrong - basically  
> they went to an all 32-bit or all 64-bit world - and I was initially  
> under the impression that Linux did too. But now I think that linux   
> got it right. I don't know why Windows got it so wrong, those people  
> aren't stupid. If I had to speculate, AI'd guess it  had something to  
> do with their ABI. Maybe you  simply can't link 32-bit libraries into  
> 64-bit code in the Windows world.

I've been reading along in this discussion, and it's been interesting so
far. :)

If it's best to use 32-bit code unless you have a compelling reason for
64-bit, doesn't the same hold true for 16-bit? It would be twice as
compact as 32-bit code, so twice as much would fit in cache. IIRC, there
are reasons why you want 32-bit for Intel processors to run a "real" OS,
having less to do with bit width than the mode the processor is in.

I have two 64-bit boxes running 64-bit OS. They are both in colo, and
they run until I reboot them (i.e., they are quite stable). Two points
about that: 1) neither box has an Intel processor (why use Intel for
64-bit?!  they seem to suck at it), and 2) the boxes are running neither
Windows nor Linux (I bring that up because I can't comment on Fedora
stability or performace in 64-bit). I also have a couple of old 64-bit
boxes at home. They are old enough to be slow, but one of which I used
recently for quite a while as a desktop machine, including running
Firefox, and it worked fine. Once again, not Windows or Linux, and not
an Intel processor.

I just find it interesting that there's all this talk of 64-bit on Intel
processors. I never considered them much of a player in 64-bit. I'd love
to hear how and why you people have done so. I don't want flames: I'm
truly curious.

-- 
Darrin Chandler            |  Phoenix BSD User Group  |  MetaBUG
dwchandler at stilyagin.com   |  http://phxbug.org/      |  http://metabug.org/
http://www.stilyagin.com/  |  Daemons in the Desert   |  Global BUG Federation