On Thu, Apr 23, 2015 at 12:54:47AM -0400, Tom Roche wrote: > > summary: 3 questions: > > 1. Can one install both `binutils:amd64` and `binutils:i386` on the same device? I don't believe so. > 2. If one can: how? or, what am I doing wrong? > 3. If one cannot: why not? Multiarch works for libraries because the library-loading mechanism has been modified to look for libraries in, for example, /usr/lib/<architechture>/ as well as the traditional /usr/lib/. That is, a binary says "I need libfoo" and the loader finds a version for the appropriate architecture. However, a similar scheme does not exist for binaries. I *suppose* it could be possible to have /usr/bin/<architecture> and symlink the "native" archtecture's version to /usr/bin/, but A) you'd end up with a lot of links there and B) that may well break things. So, as it is, *binaries* conflict with each other (that is, only one architecture can provide /usr/bin/foo), but libraries do not (you can have /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libfoo.so as well as /usr/lib/ x86_64-linux-gnu/libfoo.so on the same system). > > details: > > I need to setup a 32-bit app (don't ask!) on a 64-bit linode with You might find a chroot a suitable alternative.
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