32 bit install on 64 bit machine?

sepp · Guru Joined: 11 Jul 2002 Posts: 330

I'll be getting a new server over the next days. it comes with a xeon 64 bit processor. as long as I don't need the 64 bit, do I have to install a 64bit version of gentoo? or should I rather stick with 32bit? I have a commercial database which has to run on this server. it comes as an rpm package but is compiled for 32bit machine. is it worth the risk of installing 64bit linux? or is installing and running a 32bit software in an 64bit enviroment not that hard?

nixnut · Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:51 pm Post subject:

If you don't want any 64-bit stuff, just install using the i686 installer cd.
_________________
Please add [solved] to the initial post's subject line if you feel your problem is resolved. Help answer the unanswered

talk is cheap. supply exceeds demand

mdeininger · Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 5:28 pm Post subject:

with gentoo you could easily just "install both" by installing the 64-bit version and then installing another 32-bit, chroot into the latter from the former and then run 32-bit applications in there... then again, if your primary goal is to get that specific server program up, you might just as well go with only a 32-bit os, there's nothing wrong with that.
_________________
"Confident, lazy, cocky, dead." -- Felix Jongleur, Otherland

( Twitter | Blog | GitHub )

james_uk · n00b Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 3

If you don't need anything from a 64 bit OS then don't go for it as of now as the rpm's and source files for 64 bit OS are not easily available. Its better to stick to 32 bit OS to reduce complications in future.

Keruskerfuerst · Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:23 pm Post subject:

I have a AMD Athlon 64 processor. The OS is 64 bit. Everything works fine, apart from flashplayer.

odessit · Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:32 pm Post subject:

Just use i686 cd and install 32 bit OS.
I have 3 servers with Xeon 64.
1 runs gentoo in 32 bit mode
1 runs Gentoo in 64 bit mode (with 32 bit chroot - used it for testing purposes only, I've got to delete it someday...)
1 runs Gentoo in 64 bit mode
No issues with any of them

Enverex · Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:49 pm Post subject:

There are quite a few programs which don't compile on x86_64 yet. That's not a problem for some people but if the program is nolonger built/maintained then it means you're not going to be able to use it at all (ugh, and don't say chroot, that's a messy hack).