Re: When will amd64 be allowed in sid?
Adam Majer <adamm@galacticasoftware.com> writes:
> John Goerzen wrote:
>...
> Exactly. Most Debian installations that are for 64-bit, initially will
> be server only. Soon after that, they will include more and more
> desktops, but even then people will continue to rely on Debian
> packages. Muti-arch support can then be introduced in sarge+1 or
> sarge+2 if really needed but very soon most new applications will have
> amd64 and i386 versions. Later, i386 will not even be supported. I
> know that there are reasons people might want multiarch, but isn't it
> just like adding a "i686" port? After all, if someone needs 32-bit,
> they can run i386 arch, if they can cope with 64-bit, then they run
> amd64.
There are many reasons why a mixed system might be required. Each of
them will only apply to a few % of users. To name a few:
- binary only software
- 32/64 bit only software
- programms that need lots of memory that exceed real memory in 64bit
- programms that need lots of memory that exceed the 4G boundary in 32bit
- programms that overall run vastly slower/faster in 32/64 bit
When you have a system where a 32 bit _and_ 64 bit rule applies
multiarch would be beneficial.
> i386 port is not going anywhere anytime soon. People wanting to use
> programs for i386 on amd64 can setup,
>
> * i386 chroot to run these programs. I'm sure that a debian script
> will be introduced for this (even better than debootstrap :)
Not easy to install and maintain. Even the properly buildd systems end
up with daemons left running or replacing the real ones in the chroot
and similar problems. Debian has no way to setup a full chroot that
won't interfere with the real system or where one can decide what runs
where. Its all manual work.
That doesn't mean there won't be one and something to better control a
chroot would be benefitial to the buildds and every chroot user as well.
> * they can install i386 on a different partition
Needs a reboot. Blasphemy. :)
> But I doubt that it really be necessary. Most people will want 64-bit
> simply to have 64-bit apps. They will demand them from non-free
> suppliers. The i386 only apps will die faster than people think. Just
> look at nVidia[1]. They already support AMD64. Well, since Dec 11,
> 2002! [2]
MfG
Goswin
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