Dave Carrigan wrote: > - For servers, it is roughly as stable as i386 sid is, lacking some > unported applications like Java. > > - For workstations, some applications have problems - most notably > mozilla and its derivatives, and Openoffice.org porting efforts have > just begun. However, a growing number of people use this port on > their desktop system, and are really happy with it. > > I occasionally use Java, I don't use Openoffice, and I regularly use > Firefox. These work fine with the /emul/ia32-linux chroot installed. I installed it as a full chroot system there and not as the library package. Either should work but I personally prefer the full chroot since it is easier to get updated binaries in the chroot that way. > Finally, I use VMWare a lot, primarily to run Windows XP, and > occasionally other x86 operating systems (Win2K, Debian/Woody, etc.). I have heard that vmware *might* be functional. Out of your list of things that sounds like the one most likely not to work. If that is important to you then I would investigate it in more detail. Personally I don't use it and have no information on it. > I am an experienced Unix/Linux admin, so things like chroots don't worry > me. With the /emul layer I don't need chroots. Although the chroots are useful for other purposes. > I'm fairly certain that I could run VMWare in a chroot if I needed I would suspect not. But I don't know. > to, but it's the Mozilla issues (whatever they are) that really worry > me; I really don't want to run a core application like that in a chroot. You might want to run system 64-bit mode but run mozilla in 32-bit mode from the /emul layer. Then you have a full choice of binary only plugins. The confusing part is that you have to install plugins in the chroot and you might need symlinks to make things work. Here is a note I posted some time ago about how I can run openoffice in 32-bit mode on a 64-bit system. It is one of the *other* 64-bit systems but the information still applies. http://lists.debian.org/debian-ia64/2003/10/msg00034.html > Based on that information, is Debian-AMD64 the right choice for me today, > or should I wait a few more months? It sounds to me like you are a good candidate to try it anyway. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say. I am sure you don't need 64-bits on this box of yours but if you did not want to then you would not be asking so you might as well try it. I think if you can get vmware running you will be happy with the system. Of the things you mentioned that was the only thing I would be concerned about. The worse that happens is that you decide to install the 32-bit architecture later. If you install the /emul ia32 system as a symlink to a bootable partition then you can dual boot the machine right from the start. Bob
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