* Bart Schuller (schuller@lunatech.com) wrote: > On Tue, Jan 13, 2004 at 09:25:21PM +0100, Goswin von Brederlow wrote: > > Repeating myself again in the hope you might read it this time: > > > > The main reason for /lib and /lib64 on amd64 by now is because > > everyone else is doing it. > > And writing standards about it too. It's in the LSB. The LSB also says all packages must specify an architecture of x86_64 and is distributed under the GFDL. I don't readily see where it references /lib64 except for the loader and to say that libraries should be in a directory. > A not unimportant reason for wanting proper support for biarch in > Debian is that is what the users of these systems want. I know I bought > my Athlon64 for the specific purpose of having a compatible, > comfortable, fast x86 system, yet with the possibility of speeding up > specific programs. Add to that the ability to mmap all the hd space in > my machine (I know I'm going to have fun playing with object databases). What the users *want* is a useful 64bit system sometime within the next millenium. Then there's the issue that 64bit on amd64 is *faster*, as well as able to address a decent amount of memory. Speeding up certain programs shouldn't be (and isn't) what we're interested in. Providing a distribution that takes advantage of the capabilities of the architecture is much more what we're shooting for. > You may think that these processors are exotic, but in a couple of > months most people who'd normally buy a slightly faster than average AMD > processor will suddenly have a 64 bit machine. I hardly see them as exotic, I've got 3 dual-proc ones that I've been trying to get something useful on. Most people will also be running Windows on their 64bit machine. Stephen
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