[GRLUG] 64-bit Linux

[Collin]

Topher wrote:
>> So I've got a brand-spankin-new laptop that I'd like to run Linux on. 
>> Thing is, this is my first box with a 64-bit processor.  I don't yet 
>> know if I want to run Ubuntu or Gentoo, but one problem remains: Do I 
>> run 32-bit or 64-bit?
>>
>> I expect to do two things with my laptop: Watch video files, browse the 
>> Internet, and watch streaming video on the Internet.  *Maybe* some 
>> gaming. (It's been something like six years since I've had a computer 
>> deemed appropriate for video games...)
>>
>> I know Flash on Linux tends to lag behind Flash on Windows, but does 
>> 64-bit Linux flash lag even further behind?  I also know there were 
>> problems with getting a 64-bit Java browser plugin, but Java applets on 
>> the Internet are rare, and even Java developers don't like to admit they 
>> exist.
>>
>> So if I were to install a 64-bit Linux variant, what issues am I going 
>> to run into?
>>     
>
> A girl in my office runs 64bit ubuntu.  There is no 64bit flash, it just 
> doesn't exist.  What she does is run 32bit firefox, which then works with 
> the 32bit flash player.
>
> Other than that, we haven't really run into any issues.  All the help she 
> asked for I've given her as if she were running 32 bit and everything's 
> worked, but it was just basic stuff like "how do I install...." etc.
>
> Java's not worth it, regardless of what you're running /flamebait.
>   

Yeah, I have Arch Linux 64bit installed on my Core2Duo laptop. The flash 
thing is easy to fix, use a 32 bit plugin. In my case I'm running 64 bit 
Konquerer but with a plugin wrapper to allow the 32 bit flash plugin to 
work.

You'll almost certainly end up installing a bunch of 32 bit support 
libraries so that you can run various things that don't support 64 bit 
yet. However, most applications seem to work fine. As a bonus compiling 
is faster in 64 bit so you won't have to wait so long for your 
applications to be done compiling! ;-)


My nVidia 8700M works fine, the Realtek sound works fine, USB, firewire, 
and wifi work fine. My fingerprint reader doesn't have drivers I don't 
think. Ditto on the built in webcam but I don't really care so maybe one 
or the other is supported and I just don't know it. Haven't tried HDMI 
out in linux yet so I don't know about that.