Should I really install the 64bit system on my laptop

Message

FFighter · Post by **FFighter** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 1:47 am

Hello,

EDIT: I forgot to mention which processor I have! It is a Core 2 Duo T5250.

Well, I've been doing a deep research regarding the x86_64 architecture, its benefits, implications and cons. I had almost decided to go with a 64bit system when I started configuring some features in the kernel configuration interface and things seemed very different form the documentation.

Take the CPU Frequency Scaling - a common feature for mobile computers, for example. This article in the Gentoo wiki: http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_CPU_Frequency_Scaling tells you to enable ACPI. Fine. I went to the kernel menuconfig->Power Management Options and searched for ACPI. Nothing.

Then I tried searching for ACPI, and it was indeed found:

Location:
-> Power Management Options
-> ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) Suppor

"What the heck?" - I thought myself. I must be going crazy. However, just above this text, there were another relevant piece of information:

Depends on: !X86_VOYAGER && ACPI && X86

Hmmm.. from what I can understand, ACPI settings are only enabled on 32bit systems?

If so, I ask, does it really worth it to install a 64bit system on a mobile platform?

Thanks in advance.

cyrillic · Post by **cyrillic** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:25 am

The x86 dependency covers both 32bit and 64bit.

So yes, power management and frequency scaling will work if you decide to do a 64bit installation.

Nick C · Post by **Nick C** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:28 am

assuming your on a recent (read .23 or .24) kernel, then iirc x86 is both 32 and 64bit as they merged them under one name.

On my 64bit .24 kernel, ACPI is (and has been since i started using linux quite some time ago) fully supported and only requires that you be running x86 or IA64 and have PCI support enabled and have generic power management enabled.

What kernel are you trying to configure out of interest?

FFighter · Post by **FFighter** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:36 am

The x86 dependency covers both 32bit and 64bit.

So yes, power management and frequency scaling will work if you decide to do a 64bit installation.

But where is the ACPI conf. options in the menuconfig?

What kernel are you trying to configure out of interest?

tuxonice-sources since I would like to use the hibernation feature.

Thanks for the reply!

Marcelo.

poly_poly-man · Post by **poly_poly-man** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:37 am

Nick C wrote:x86 or IA64

Just a note - IA64 != amd64

amd64 = x86_64.

IA64 is the name of a seperate architecture which is implemented in the Itanium processors, for one.

As for the big 32/64 question: Go 64-bit. The only little issue I have is flash, and even that (mostly) works.

BTW, the powernow-k8 cpufreq driver is in use on my computer as we speak.

poly-p man

FFighter · Post by **FFighter** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:43 am

As for the big 32/64 question: Go 64-bit. The only little issue I have is flash, and even that (mostly) works.

What does this "(mostly)" supposed to mean?

ShinyThings · Post by **ShinyThings** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:53 am

FFighter wrote:
As for the big 32/64 question: Go 64-bit. The only little issue I have is flash, and even that (mostly) works.
What does this "(mostly)" supposed to mean?

It works flawlessly if you use a 32bit web browser (mozilla-firefox-bin for example). If you use a 64bit nsplugin-compatible browser you need the nspluginwrapper, which doesn't work very well.

You can use a 32bit and 64bit browser in unison.

Nick C · Post by **Nick C** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:54 am

poly_poly-man wrote:
Nick C wrote:x86 or IA64
Just a note - IA64 != amd64

amd64 = x86_64.

IA64 is the name of a seperate architecture which is implemented in the Itanium processors, for one.

Apologies, i should have made that clear when i posted.

As for where the ACPI option lies, for my zen-sources install, and pretty much every kernel i can remember the option lies within the Power Management options section:

Code: Select all

  │ |    [*] Power Management support                                    
  │ │    [ ]   Legacy Power Management API (DEPRECATED)     
  │ │    [ ]   Power Management Debug Support                      
  │ │    [ ] Suspend to RAM and standby                                 
  │ │    [ ] Hibernation (aka 'suspend to disk')                         
  │ │    [*] ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) Support 
  │ │        CPU Frequency scaling  --->                                  
  │ │    [*] CPU idle PM support

poly_poly-man · Post by **poly_poly-man** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:00 am

ShinyThings wrote:
FFighter wrote:
As for the big 32/64 question: Go 64-bit. The only little issue I have is flash, and even that (mostly) works.
What does this "(mostly)" supposed to mean?
It works flawlessly if you use a 32bit web browser (mozilla-firefox-bin for example). If you use a 64bit nsplugin-compatible browser you need the nspluginwrapper, which doesn't work very well.

Well, it works, but it leaks memory like a madman and uses lots of cpu sometimes.

It's not to the point where I groan when I see a reference to youtube, but don't try to do anything processor-intensive and use flash at the same time.

poly-p man

FFighter · Post by **FFighter** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:00 am

Nick C wrote:
poly_poly-man wrote:
Nick C wrote:x86 or IA64
Just a note - IA64 != amd64

amd64 = x86_64.

IA64 is the name of a seperate architecture which is implemented in the Itanium processors, for one.
Apologies, i should have made that clear when i posted.

As for where the ACPI option lies, for my zen-sources install, and pretty much every kernel i can remember the option lies within the Power Management options section.
Code: Select all
  │ |    [*] Power Management support                                    
  │ │    [ ]   Legacy Power Management API (DEPRECATED)     
  │ │    [ ]   Power Management Debug Support                      
  │ │    [ ] Suspend to RAM and standby                                 
  │ │    [ ] Hibernation (aka 'suspend to disk')                         
  │ │    [*] ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) Support 
  │ │        CPU Frequency scaling  --->                                  
  │ │    [*] CPU idle PM support         

Well, it happens that this particular options is not present on this very same screen in the menuconfig for my kernel. Here's what my Power Management options screen contains:

Code: Select all

[*] Power Management support
[] Legacy Power Management API (DEPRECATED) (NEW)
[] Power Management Debug Support (NEW)
[*] Suspend to RAM and standby (NEW)
[] Hibernation (aka 'suspend to disk') (NEW)
   CPU Frequency Scaling --->
[] CPU idle PM support (NEW)

I'm using the tuxonice-sources kernel source (Linux Kernel v.2.6.24-tuxonice-r3)

cyrillic · Post by **cyrillic** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:12 am

The ACPI option would not be visible if you turned off PCI bus support.

I'm not sure if there are other options that could do the same thing ...

FFighter · Post by **FFighter** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:31 am

Code: Select all

The ACPI option would not be visible if you turned off PCI bus support.

I'm not sure if there are other options that could do the same thing ...

Thank you, PCI bus support does indeed have to be enabled in order for ACPI to appear.