New hardware under Etch ?
Currently the limitation is the Linux kernel itself not the Debian modified version. The Debian kernel maintainers take the original Linux kernel and modifies it as need so that it works better with Debian and conforms to the Debian definition of OSS (Open Source Software). You can read more at the Debian website.
Debian kernel-image(s) are compiled to work with a large variety of machines and hardware. This way anyone can easily install the system and get it running. Since most drivers are complied as modules only modules for hardware on the current system are loaded. This means that most users can load the default Debian kernel-image and don't worry about it.
Most user and server systems come with about 512MB RAM and most MBs are limited to 4GB RAM. My guess is that setting the RAM to 64MB in the kernel makes for more lines of code in the kernel and maybe uses more processor time. Linux programmers (and Linux users) don't like bloat and will cut it where ever possible. So it make sense to compile the kernel for 4GB. The Linux kernel is designed for anyone to configure it and conpile it in which ever way they want. In fact (re)compiling the kernel is encouraged.
If you've never complied the kernel before don't worry. Its not difficult. If you're doing it for the first time here it is what I think is the easiest way:
1. Install Debian and the desktop either GNOME or KDE or both. Since you're learning both would be better. you can always play around with it and remove it later.
2. Use synaptic or aptitude to install "kernel-package"
synaptic is a desktop package manager
aptitude is a terminal package manager
3. Read the "README" that comes with kernel-package
/usr/share/doc/kernel-package/REAME
The README will list all the package you need to install in order to compile the kernel. It also has step by step procedure on compiling the kernel and installing the kernel.
I don't have any info. on Linux kernel 64GB+ support but you can check out the following sites and search the web.
http://www.kernel.org
http://openmosix.sourceforge.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel
http://www.tldp.org
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