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Date:      Tue, 1 Apr 2008 17:03:56 +0000
From:      "=?ISO-8859-1?Q?S=E9bastien_Morand?=" <seb.morand@gmail.com>
To:        "=?ISO-8859-1?Q?S=E9bastien_Morand?=" <seb.morand@gmail.com>,  freebsd-amd64@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Nvidia using 32 bits install
Message-ID:  <16d3abd60804011003l5562687o9f2136e72cbd2125@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <20080401155333.GB66660@slackbox.xs4all.nl>
References:  <16d3abd60804010654m1847439cwc9e8e68dac09de8a@mail.gmail.com> <20080401155333.GB66660@slackbox.xs4all.nl>

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>  Be aware that some ports are only available on i386. E.g. the nvidia
>  drivers and the windows emulator wine.

I discoreved too late :-) Too bad for me, I should have checked before anyw=
ay.

>
>  > I read there is no nvidia driver for 64 bits install, but there is
>  > some in 32 bits install.
>
>  On amd64 only Xorg's standard nv driver is supported. This works fine
>  for 2D, but doesn't support 3D direct rendering. This is because nvidia
>  doesn't release enough documentation to enable open source drivers to be
>  written. There is a binary-only nvidia driver for i386.
>
>  If you want an amd64 desktop, you'll need graphics hardware that is
>  supported by the open-source Xorg drivers, because they will work.
>
>  The best open source supported video hardware at this moment is either
>  intel (often on-board) or ATI (who've just provided a lot of
>  documentation to the Xorg developers). If you can find an ATI video card=
 with
>  a 9250 chip (rv280) it will work, including 3D direct rendering.

Rights now, I'm exptratriated in Senegal, not so sure I'll be able to
find one so easly, but that's and idea.

>  If you switch from amd64 to i386 you'll have to re-install all software,
>  base system and ports. But not your data or configuration files, of cour=
se.

yes I know, as I'm migrating from debian to FreeBSD, my data are still
under Debian anyway.

>  Strictly speaking you only _need_ amd64 if you regularly run out of
>  address space (memory) on i386, or if you have >4GB RAM installed and
>  want to use it.

I don't think I'am. Actually I never swap and I don't use memory
expensive application. And I plan to XFCE as desktop which as all the
features i need to work efficiently. But I want it awesome ;-)

>  The relative speed of amd64/i386 depends on the workload. For a normal
>  workstation it probably doesn't really matter because the CPU will be
>  idling most of the time. :-)

that's what i wanted to hear before speding one week to install,
compile and configure.

S=E9bastien



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