some questions about 32 bit / 64 bit
Hello everybody, I have a laptop with a Centrino 2 Duo processor with 4GB of RAM and a dual VGA (one integrated in the mobo and an ATI Radeon). Now it uses the ATI Radeon, but if I set it to use the integrated VGA, the total free RAM drops to 3.X GB. I understand that this is due to sharing memory with the VGA. My first issue is, I'm currently working with Linux and I'm planning to switch to FreeBSD 7.1, but I don't know if switch to 32 or 64 bit (i.e., i386 or amd64). If I switch to the 32 bit version, which is the memory limit of a single user process? Will the entire system (kernel + user processes) be able to use the whole 4GB (or 3.XGB, if I switch to the integrated VGA)? Please note, avoid a war between 32bit vs 64bit benefits/cons. The second issue is about ports, if I install the 64 bit version I would need some libraries in 32 bit mode too. Is the ports system adapted to control these two different ABIs? If not, how do you manage this? Maybe installing FreeBSD twice (one for x86 and another for amd64)? Thank you. -- _ Empty your memory, with a free()... like a pointer! If you cast a pointer to an integer, it becomes an integer, if you cast a pointer to a struct, it becomes a struct. The pointer can crash..., and can overflow. Be a pointer my friend... ___ freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers To unsubscribe, send any mail to freebsd-hackers-unsubscr...@freebsd.org
Re: some questions about 32 bit / 64 bit
Harald Servat wrote: My first issue is, I'm currently working with Linux and I'm planning to switch to FreeBSD 7.1, but I don't know if switch to 32 or 64 bit (i.e., i386 or amd64). If I switch to the 32 bit version, which is the memory limit On a server, switch to 64 bit. On a desktop machime, go with 32-bit. You will only be able to address slightly over 3 GB no matter which graphics card you use but on the other hand you'll have better supported drivers and 3rd party software. signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: some questions about 32 bit / 64 bit
Hi again, 2009/4/3 Ivan Voras ivo...@freebsd.org Harald Servat wrote: My first issue is, I'm currently working with Linux and I'm planning to switch to FreeBSD 7.1, but I don't know if switch to 32 or 64 bit (i.e., i386 or amd64). If I switch to the 32 bit version, which is the memory limit On a server, switch to 64 bit. On a desktop machime, go with 32-bit. You will only be able to address slightly over 3 GB no matter which graphics card you use but on the other hand you'll have better supported drivers and 3rd party software. I've just seen this topic also being mentioned in http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/faq/compatibility-memory.html And what about the second issue? Thank you very much. -- _ Empty your memory, with a free()... like a pointer! If you cast a pointer to an integer, it becomes an integer, if you cast a pointer to a struct, it becomes a struct. The pointer can crash..., and can overflow. Be a pointer my friend... ___ freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers To unsubscribe, send any mail to freebsd-hackers-unsubscr...@freebsd.org
Re: some questions about 32 bit / 64 bit
On Fri, 3 Apr 2009 15:27:53 +0200 Harald Servat redcr...@gmail.com wrote: Hi again, 2009/4/3 Ivan Voras ivo...@freebsd.org Harald Servat wrote: My first issue is, I'm currently working with Linux and I'm planning to switch to FreeBSD 7.1, but I don't know if switch to 32 or 64 bit (i.e., i386 or amd64). If I switch to the 32 bit version, which is the memory limit On a server, switch to 64 bit. On a desktop machime, go with 32-bit. You will only be able to address slightly over 3 GB no matter which graphics card you use but on the other hand you'll have better supported drivers and 3rd party software. I've just seen this topic also being mentioned in http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/faq/compatibility-memory.html And what about the second issue? Thank you very much. All I can say is that I've been using 64-bit FreeBSD as my desktop for years and never had any real problems. Of course, this is _not_ a laptop, so YMMV. But several people have reported in various MLs that they're using their laptops in 64-bit mode with success. Try it in 64-bit mode. If you have problems, then consider 32-bit mode. --- Gary Jennejohn ___ freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers To unsubscribe, send any mail to freebsd-hackers-unsubscr...@freebsd.org
Re: some questions about 32 bit / 64 bit
On Fri, 2009-04-03 at 14:45 +0200, Ivan Voras wrote: Harald Servat wrote: My first issue is, I'm currently working with Linux and I'm planning to switch to FreeBSD 7.1, but I don't know if switch to 32 or 64 bit (i.e., i386 or amd64). If I switch to the 32 bit version, which is the memory limit On a server, switch to 64 bit. On a desktop machime, go with 32-bit. You will only be able to address slightly over 3 GB no matter which graphics card you use but on the other hand you'll have better supported drivers and 3rd party software. All of our drm drivers are safe on amd64. The only thing you get from 32bit is the ability to run the Nvidia blob. If you are trying to do emmulated things like play linux/windows games, then 32bit might be needed, but for normal use graphics isn't a reason not to use amd64. FreeBSD balrog.2hip.net 8.0-CURRENT FreeBSD 8.0-CURRENT #13 r190402M: Tue Mar 24 22:41:47 CDT 2009 rnol...@balrog.2hip.net:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/BALROG amd64 robert. -- Robert Noland rnol...@freebsd.org FreeBSD signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part
Re: some questions about 32 bit / 64 bit
On Fri, Apr 03, 2009 at 12:07:05PM -0500, Robert Noland wrote: On Fri, 2009-04-03 at 14:45 +0200, Ivan Voras wrote: Harald Servat wrote: My first issue is, I'm currently working with Linux and I'm planning to switch to FreeBSD 7.1, but I don't know if switch to 32 or 64 bit (i.e., i386 or amd64). If I switch to the 32 bit version, which is the memory limit On a server, switch to 64 bit. On a desktop machime, go with 32-bit. You will only be able to address slightly over 3 GB no matter which graphics card you use but on the other hand you'll have better supported drivers and 3rd party software. All of our drm drivers are safe on amd64. The only thing you get from 32bit is the ability to run the Nvidia blob. If you are trying to do emmulated things like play linux/windows games, then 32bit might be needed, but for normal use graphics isn't a reason not to use amd64. In fact, I committed the missed bits required for wine/i386 on amd64, several days ago. We did tested that wine and mplayer+win32 codecs work. FreeBSD balrog.2hip.net 8.0-CURRENT FreeBSD 8.0-CURRENT #13 r190402M: Tue Mar 24 22:41:47 CDT 2009 rnol...@balrog.2hip.net:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/BALROG amd64 robert. -- Robert Noland rnol...@freebsd.org FreeBSD pgp8wfHdGwzlo.pgp Description: PGP signature
