Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:16:56 -0400 From: Robert Huff <roberthuff@rcn.com> To: Matthew Seaman <m.seaman@infracaninophile.co.uk> Cc: Gary Kline <kline@thought.org>, Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>, FreeBSD Mailing List <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: breakthru, maybe.... Message-ID: <19177.34744.676313.157866@jerusalem.litteratus.org> In-Reply-To: <4AE93763.4090109@infracaninophile.co.uk> References: <20091028214842.GA68070@thought.org> <20091028230237.6bc97ffd.freebsd@edvax.de> <20091028230801.GC68365@thought.org> <4AE93763.4090109@infracaninophile.co.uk>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Matthew Seaman writes: > All Intel processors produced in the last few years have been > 64bit capable, including anything labelled 'core2'. You need to > install the amd64 architecture binaries to get the system running > in 64bit mode though, even though it's an Intel chip. > > Likewise, all Intel and AMD processors support running in 32bit > mode, and you need to install the i386 architecture binaries to > achieve that, irrespective of who actually manufactured your > processor chips. > > As to which variant you should install? For servers, I'd go > 64bit pretty much automatically. For desktops, especially if you > need 3D graphics performance you're somewhat limited by the > support available for your graphics adapter. There are 64bit > drivers for various ATI cards, but I can't tell off hand if the > one you have is supported. If it is, or if you don't care about > 3D graphics support, then go 64bit. There are alsu a ((very) small) number of ports that do not compile or do not run in 64-bit mode. Figure out if one of them is mission-critical before installing; check for the "NOT_FOR_ARCH" and "ONLY_FOR_ARCH" settings in the port's Makefile. That said, the machine I'm typing on is about six weeks old and running an AMD Phenom II x4. I installed amd64 with some trepidation, fully prepared to re-install i386. However, it's now up over 675 ports - including apache, mysql, firefox, and OpenOffice - and everything works. Robert Huff
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?19177.34744.676313.157866>