Re: Debian RAM supporting.
On Thu, 2 Apr 2009, Justin The Cynical wrote:
<snip>
Question was can it be done with a machine that has 32bit processors. Answer
was yes it can be done with a bigmem kernel, but there are potential
compatibility problems, here are a few other major operating systems and
environments that have problems with it as examples.
Opinion was given that they would be better off with changing the CPU's to
64bit capable, but was not said to be a have-to-do-this.
And, from that, and, the material that has so far been posted, my
understanding is:
1. the original poster actually has 4 x 64 bit CPU's in his server that
he was asking about, and
2. the response above indicates that yes, 4G (and maybe more) RAM can be
used with 32 bit CPU's and 32 bit OS, with (what I understand to be,
basically) a software patch to allow access to the memory that lies
outside the limits of a 32 bit OS, but using that patch has its own
problems, and so
3. it is recommended that, if a person (like me) wants to buy a new
computer with 4GB of RAM (my current desktop system and laptop system
are each limited to 2GB RAM), then the person should get a 64-bit CPU
based system and 64 bit OS, to avoid the overheads cost (in processing)
of the software patch, and thus
4. while it is not absolutely necessary to get a 64 bit system, to have
4GB RAM, it is strongly (?) recommended, for efficiency.
Yes?
--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............
"So once you do know what the question actually is,
you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
A Trilogy In Four Parts",
written by Douglas Adams,
published by Pan Books, 1992
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