Finally! Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Will Recommend 64-bit

[kokoko3k]

Nonsense. Get some new FUD while you're out. The difference is more like 1-2% in most cases.

Give me yours explaining your reasons, instead.

[kraftman]

Per example, on SPARC (T1 and T2 Cpus are also GPLed under OpenSparc) , 64-bit is always a bit slower, but due to the need for more RAM, new systems on SPARC with Solaris (and Illumos, with OpenIndiana in future) tend to be (recommended) 64-bit only, while Desktop applications remain to be 32bit etc. SPARC is 64-bit from,like, forever btw.

I doubt if Ubuntu cares about sparcs. Btw. here's interesting article about x32 ABI which should address some problems:

http://lwn.net/Articles/456731/

[kraftman]

Finally looks like Mono & friends will be dropped!

Great, but they should find application with more sane interface imho. Rhythmbox has non traditional interface and it's sometimes hard to use.

[ssam]

its a shame that adobe has managed to hold linux back for so long.

i have used wine for a few things on 64bit ubuntu and not noticed any problems. now that debian/ubuntu have proper multiarch support it should be even easier to accommodate old 32 bit apps.

[kobblestown]

What is the state of 32-bit compatibility on 64-bit Linux?

I am still using 32-bit as I play lots of old games, mostly native titles but also some through WINE, so I would need those to run without any fuss before I would consider installing a 64-bit system. My hardware can support it, and indeed if I could do that I could double the RAM in my machine, but I would not feel it would be worth it to add an extra layer of fuss when it comes to using my system the way I want to.

So am I worrying about nothing or are there legitimate problems still with running older software?

The 32-bit compatibility on 64-bit Linux is impeccable. At least in theory

The kernel supports both the 32-bit and 64-bit API. In order to run a 32-bit application on 64-bit kernel you only need the 32-bit libraries. Some 32-bit applications, like Skype and WINE, have 64-bit packages which are the 32-bit program but with library dependencies adjusted to pull the 32-bit libraries. I find this approach messy. For several years I've been using 32-bit root jails to handle 32-bit software on a 64-bit kernel. I use the schroot package to configure and start the root jail. I use debootstrap to install an initial version of Ubuntu or debian. Then I enter the jail and install all necessary applications and libraries (using apt-get for instance). The nice thing is that the root jail installation is totally isolated from the host distribution. And when I upgrade my host distribution I can just bring over the directory of the root jail and start it as it was in the old distribution. I still keep a maverick32 root jail on my oneiric desktop - works like a charm for Skype, Adobe Acrobat Reader and WINE.

[Cyborg16]

The 32-bit compatibility on 64-bit Linux is impeccable. At least in theory

The kernel supports both the 32-bit and 64-bit API. In order to run a 32-bit application on 64-bit kernel you only need the 32-bit libraries. Some 32-bit applications, like Skype and WINE, have 64-bit packages which are the 32-bit program but with library dependencies adjusted to pull the 32-bit libraries. I find this approach messy. For several years I've been using 32-bit root jails to handle 32-bit software on a 64-bit kernel. I use the schroot package to configure and start the root jail. I use debootstrap to install an initial version of Ubuntu or debian. Then I enter the jail and install all necessary applications and libraries (using apt-get for instance). The nice thing is that the root jail installation is totally isolated from the host distribution. And when I upgrade my host distribution I can just bring over the directory of the root jail and start it as it was in the old distribution. I still keep a maverick32 root jail on my oneiric desktop - works like a charm for Skype, Adobe Acrobat Reader and WINE.

That's probably a good way of doing it if you need an easy way of handling lots of packages.

But it's unnecessary for most people ? just install the 32-bit libraries packaged by debian/your distro. If you still miss libraries required by some package, you can download the 32-bit .deb/whatever archive and unpack the libraries (usually to /usr/lib32).

[JanC]

But it's unnecessary for most people ? just install the 32-bit libraries packaged by debian/your distro. If you still miss libraries required by some package, you can download the 32-bit .deb/whatever archive and unpack the libraries (usually to /usr/lib32).

APT & dpkg can now handle "multiarch" on their own, no need for manual downloading (well, once all packages are rebuilt for multiarch-support, I guess).