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welchums
n00b
Joined: 19 Jan 2011
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:47 pm Post subject: question about RAM and CPU |
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I am considering doing a Gentoo install on my laptop. I am currently running an i7 quadcore with 8 GB of RAM.
I have noticed however in the downloads section that there is no x86_64 build of 10.1. Are there any other
Gentoo builds out there that are 64 bit that will support my processor or is the x86 version able to support my
8 GB of RAM? I have seen a few x86 distros in the past that will support large amounts or RAM but I would
personally prefer to stick with the 64 bit. Also, if I can run a 64 bit distro is it compatible with 32 bit packages?
I have run into distros that do not have the compatibility. Any suggestions an or information would be greatly
appreciated! |
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Aquous
l33t
Joined: 08 Jan 2011
Posts: 700
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| Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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actually, there is a 64-bit build.
http://www.gentoo.org/main/en/mirrors2.xml
it's in the subfolder releases/amd64
As for 32 bit compatibility, if you use a multilib profile you get 32 bit compatibility through the emul-linux-x86-* packages, which work just fine (unless you use video drivers from git like I do, in which case only 64 bit apps get 3d accel; but if you just stick with the default packags that are available you'll be fine). |
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pigeon768
l33t
Joined: 02 Jan 2006
Posts: 683
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| Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:01 pm Post subject: Re: question about RAM and CPU |
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| welchums wrote: | | I have noticed however in the downloads section that there is no x86_64 build of 10.1. Are there any other Gentoo builds out there that are 64 bit that will support my processor or is the x86 version able to support my 8 GB of RAM? |
Gentoo was, to my knowledge, the first distro to officially support x86_64; the problem is that in those days, intel didn't have plans to release a x86 chip with 64 bit extensions, they were sticking to their itanium. So in the linux world, there was amd64 and ia64. When intel finally release a x86_64 chip, and everyone else in the world started calling it x86_64, (except microsoft, who calls it x64 ... wtf) the label amd64 was already entrenched in Gentoo and gcc. So even though you have an intel chip, you'll still use the amd64 build, even though the name is funky.
Also, even in a 32bit environment, linux will support up to 64GB of RAM by setting CONFIG_HIGHMEM64G=y in the kernel config. However, running a 64bit environment is preferable, for obvious reasons. |
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Jaglover
Watchman
Joined: 29 May 2005
Posts: 8291
Location: Saint Amant, Acadiana
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The Doctor
Moderator
Joined: 27 Jul 2010
Posts: 2678
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| Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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You can use this, System rescue CD. It gives you a nice XFE gui for reading the online handbook and a terminal for installing.
It is Gentoo based and, well, you would't want to wast a CD, right?
_________________
First things first, but not necessarily in that order.
Apologies if I take a while to respond. I'm currently working on the dematerialization circuit for my blue box. |
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pigeon768
l33t
Joined: 02 Jan 2006
Posts: 683
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| Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Oh, ummm, right, there is no 10.1 profile, just the 10.0. That doesn't really matter - no difference really. |
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forkbomb
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 22 Apr 2009
Posts: 115
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| Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:44 am Post subject: Re: question about RAM and CPU |
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| welchums wrote: | I have seen a few x86 distros in the past that will support large amounts or RAM but I would
personally prefer to stick with the 64 bit. |
The capability of "supporting" large amounts of RAM is via PAE. Some distros build the capability into their stock in-repo kernels, and some don't. If you go with a 32-bit install, you'd have to choose to build in PAE support (on Gentoo the kernel compiling ball is in your court) - that's the CONFIG_HIGHMEM64G=y part pigeon768 mentions.
+1 for going with amd64 + multilib. At this point in time, there are very few real reasons (bogeymen aside) to go with a 32-bit OS if your hardware has 64-bit chops. |
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phajdan.jr
Retired Dev
Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 1777
Location: Poland
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