Re: Bug#697270: PC 32-bit programs fails to work on amd64

[Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk>]

On Thu, Jan 03, 2013 at 10:35:43PM +0100, Adam Borowski wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 03, 2013 at 06:59:02PM +0100, Gergely Nagy wrote:
> > You installed a 32-bit application on a 64-bit system. That will only
> > work if you also install the 32-bit supporting libraries, including the
> > dynamic linker. This is not a bug in Debian.
> > 
> > And no, installing 32-bit libraries by default would be a bad idea, for
> > a multitude of reasons.
> 
> Starting with the question: WHICH 32-bit?
>
> Does the user mean "a modern 32-bit x86 ABI"?  If so, x32 is over there.
> Does the user mean the most widespread 32-bit CPU type?  Then qemu-user-arm.
>
> Unless you want to resolve the question by installing libraries for every
> single architecture by default.
> 
> An then, WHICH libraries?  Although here at least LSB help, even though
> what it mandates is ancient.

The problem to be solved is that ISVs provide binaries for Linux i386
and our users want to run them on amd64.  LSB, x32 and ARM are
completely irrelevant - the important thing is to make it easy to
install whatever libraries those ISVs depend on.

Ben.

-- 
Ben Hutchings
We get into the habit of living before acquiring the habit of thinking.
                                                              - Albert Camus