----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruno Buys" <brunobuys@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: gmane.linux.debian.user
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 6:13 PM
Subject: Re: Is there a Debian 3.1 AMD64 iso?
Well, as a last resource, one can dualboot the two systems in the
same machine?
Of course. You can use the same swap partition, of course. ;)
Actualy, I recently helped somebody set up a system for dualbooting
i386 and AMD64.
But perhaps it would be simplier to just create an i386 chroot.
This is quite easy, and can be used to run any i386 program. The
64-bit kernel will work just fine with the 32-bit programs.
I reccomend doing the chroot. Here is a full walkthrough based on
unofficial howto guide, which will install the chroot as '/i386'
(short and simple name).
As I say below, if you have any questions feel free to email me.
------------------------------------
[Warning: all of the walkthrough steps are to be done as root, however
the utility dchroot will be used to let regular users run programs
found in the chroot]
[Warning2: The chroot should really be on the same partition as /etc].
First things first: use aptitude or apt-get to install 'dbootstrap'
and 'dchroot'.
'mkdir /i386'
'debootstrap --arch i386 sarge /i386 ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian'
You can change sarge in that line to any distribution you like. I
would reccomend that if you use 'stable' for the main system you use
stable for the chroot, likewise with testing, and unstable. You can
also choose the mirror you want.
Ok, now enter the chroot using: 'chroot /i386'
Install any 32 bit programs you want and the libraries you need. You
will probably want X11 libs, openoffice, etc. You can install them
using apt-get or aptitude.
Leave the chroot using 'exit'
'mkdir -p /i386/tmp /i386/proc /i386/home'
Now you must add these entrys to /etc/fstab:
/home /1386/home none bind 0 0
/tmp /i386/tmp none bind 0 0
proc /i386/proc proc defaults 0 0
Now do something to make sure these commands are run every time the
system boots (like add them to /etc/init.d/bootmisc.sh):
mount /i386/home
mount /i386/proc
mount /i386/tmp
Run those mount commands before continuing.
create hard links:
'ln /etc/passwd /i386/etc/passwd'
'ln /etc/shadow /i386/etc/shadow'
'ln /etc/group /i386/etc/group'
Ok. Now you should be able to run applications in the chroot.
Try running this:
'chroot /i386'
'su - username' #replace username with your non-root username
'export DISPLAY=:0'
'openoffice'
openoffice should open. If so close it.
'exit'
If all went well you can now setup dchroot so that you can run
openoffice without requiring you to switch to root, and manually enter
the chroot.
To set up dchroot: simply add this line to /etc/dchroot.conf :
i386 /i386
Ok. Now to run a 32bit program as non-root run 'dchroot -c i386 -d
programname'
For example to run openoffice you run: 'dchroot -c ia32 -d openoffice'.
Pretty easy right? Well we can make it even easier.
Create an executable file named /usr/local/bin/do_dchroot that contains:
#!/bin/sh
exec dchroot -c i386 -d "$(basename $0)" "$@"
Ok. Now for any program in the chroot that you will commonly run,
simply create a simlink to that script.
For example:
'cd /usr/local/bin'
'ln -s do_dchroot openoffice'
'ln -s do_dchroot oowriter'
'ln -s do_dchroot oocalc'
You can pass command line arguments to these symlinks just like with
the real programs.
If you have any questions feel free to email me.
ADVANCED:
The following steps might let you run some 32 bit applications without
chroot or dchroot:
Add these lines to /etc/ld.so.conf :
/var/chroot/sid-ia32/lib
/var/chroot/sid-ia32/usr/lib
/var/chroot/sid-ia32/usr/X11R6/lib
/var/chroot/sid-ia32/usr/local/lib
Run these commands:
'cd /lib'
'ln -s /i386/lib/ld-2.3.2.so ld-linux.so.2'
'ldconfig'
THE END