On Wed, 9 Feb 2011, Camaleón wrote:
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2011 11:16:46 +0000 (UTC) From: Camaleón <noelamac@gmail.com> To: debian-user@lists.debian.org Subject: Re: which version for intel chipset 64bit Resent-Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2011 11:17:20 +0000 (UTC) Resent-From: debian-user@lists.debian.org On Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:43:59 +0800, Bret Busby wrote:Could the Release Notes include a component that matches CPU model with appropriate distribution version?(...) For someone who is going to install an OS, that's something that should be found by the user itself. More than a mere "technical" decision (both architectures -i386 and amd64- will work under 64-bits machines), choosing between the two is something that is completely up to the user's preferences as there are many other aspects to consider beyond going A or B. If in doubt, better ask here or in forums. Greetings, -- Camaleón
The problem is in knowing whether a particular CPU is compatible with the 64 bit version of the operating system, or whether it requires the 32 bit version.
For example, the Pentium 4, from memory, is a 64 bit CPU, but is incompatible with the 64 bit version of Debian Linux, and requires to run the 32 bit version; the i386 version, that is incompatible with i386's.
I can ask a question - does the I3, I5 and I7 range of CPU's require to run the 32 bit version of Debian Linux, or, can they run the 64 bit version, and, the question might (or, might not) get answered on the list, and then, a couple of weeks, or, a few weeks, later, along comes someone else, who asks the same question, and, so-on, ad nauseum, with the question getting repeatedly asked, because the information is not included in the documentation.
Inclusion of such information in the documentation, means that people who want to know the information, do not need to ask it on mailing lists, and, therefore, can reduce the derision on the mailing list.
If my memory is correct, for a computer to include 8GB of RAM, that is addressable by the CPU, the CPU would necessarily be a 64 bit CPU, to be able to address that much RAM.
But, apparently, not all 64 bit CPU's are compatible with the 64 bit version of Debian Linux, as (from what I understand) the 64 bit version of Debian Linux is only compatible with a small subset of the 64 bit CPU's.
If it is too much trouble to include in the Realease Notes, a list of CPU's and whether they are compatible with each of the 32 bit and 64 bit versions of Debian Linux, then, could it not be done to include a list of CPU's, for which, the 64 bit version of Debian Linux is compatible, and thence to state that all CPU's not included in that list, should be taken to be incompatible with 64 bit Debian Linux?
That, at least, would be of some help for people who want to install the correct operating system, and, not simply regard the operating system as one that does not work, because they belive that it should work with their computer, and it does not?
-- 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 ....................................................