Re: Which linux flavor for amd64?
Jo Shields <jo.shields@comlab.ox.ac.uk> writes:
> jjvoyager@netzero.com wrote:
>>Options considered:
>>1. Live CD Knoppix v4.0.2 provides a hd-installer, but some Knoppers say if you are going to install Debian anyway, you are better off doing a straight Debian install. Moreover Live Knoppix detects neither the soft modem nor the printer. Haven't made the effort with the xf86conf file to see if I can get dual monitors driven by the one card before deciding between these options.
>>2. Install official stable (sarge) Debian v3.1r1 i386. DVDs easy to purchase.
>>3. Install unofficial (sarge) Debian v3.1r01 amd64. CDs (or DVDs?) can be purchased.
>>4. Install testing (etch) Debian which supposedly has internal amd64 support. Can DVDs/CDs be found?
Nuber 4 is no option. We are a few weeks away from having an
installable etch amd64 in Debian. Probably month from getting the
usual amount of software to migrate to etch. Only option for now would
be unstable.
>>Additonal notes that may/may not be applicable to the above options:
>>a) Samsung has a linux driver for their printer which may give functionality under any of the above options.
>>b) nVidia has a NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0319-pkg1.run which adds support for (nVidia)AMD64 nForce 430/410 mbs. I suppose this might add support for my mb too?
>>c) nVidia has a NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8178-pkg1.run which adds i386 and/or amd64/em64t support for their GeForce 6xxx video cards.
>>
>>
>
> As has been recently discussed on the list, never ever touch driver
> packages from nvidia.com - they overwrite assorted dpkg-managed system
> files without warning, which can come back later & bite you in the
> arse. The motherboard packages are unneccessary (as ethernet & sound
> work with open-source in-kernel drivers), and there are .deb files for
> the 3d drivers which are less breaky
For nvidia drivers on amd64 _always_ use the packages from debian
non-free. The nvidia installer is not prepared for the way debian
organises the libraries (lib64 links to lib) and will utterly fail.
The non-free buildd is just about to get setup so it will take a while
get started. So you have to fetch the nvidia source package and build
it yourself but that is not much of a showstopper.
MfG
Goswin
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