[GRLUG] 64-bit Linux

[JD Walsh III]

Topher wrote:
> Micheal Mol 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.
Actually, I'm running 64-bit Kubuntu 8.04 and using flash for Firefox (they're including 3.0b5). Printing web pages has been an issue, but flash works transparently. In prior versions (e.g., 7.10) I had to run a 32-bit brower, but apparently this is no longer necessary.

Haven't had any trouble with Java...yet.

--jd