Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:26:10 -0400 From: Michael Powell <nightrecon@verizon.net> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Problem in checking machine architecture Message-ID: <g5kb7r$84q$1@ger.gmane.org> References: <5D49E7A8952DC44FB38C38FA0D758EAD196E4A@mtlexch01.mtl.com>
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Eitan Shefi wrote: > I have a host with FreeBSD 7.0-RELEASE (64 bit) installed. > How do I check the host's architecture ? > > When I run: "uname -m" > the output is: "amd64" > > When I run: "sysctl -a | less" > and search for: "CPU" > I see that: > "hw.model: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU 5140 @ 2.33GHz > ... > hw.machine_arch: amd64" > > So, is this host's architecture is: > Intel or AMD > > I'm confused about it. > Can someone help ? > [snip] AMD came out with the 64 bit extensions to the x86 architecture first. Intel later followed AMD's lead but called their version EM64T. The distinction between an "AMD" vs "Intel" architecture is incorrect. Furthermore, today when referring to "architecture", most use x86 to represent 32bit and x86_64 to refer to 64 bit processor versions. FreeBSD simply refers to it as "amd64" because AMD was first to produce the 64bit instruction set extensions to the x86 architecture. You may find this more helpful, as they probably explain it better: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64#Intel_64 -Mike
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