On Saturday 23 July 2011 16:11:20 Mick did opine thusly: > > So, if I choose the amd64 iso and Stage 3, it doesn't have to be > > on an AMD machine? > > Correct, you will use this iso (or systemrescueCD or Knoppix) and a > Staqe 3 equivalent to build a system on an Intel 64bit CPU.
Just to flesh it out a bit more: The name amd64 came about because it's the 64 bit instruction set that AMD designed for their 64-bit chips. There was an earlier 64 bit cpu from Intel, but we don't talk about it anymore (and it has nothing to do with this topic). Anyway, the name is a nod to the company that designed it, and has nothing to do with the manufacturer of your CPU. Intel later had to eat humble pie and implement AMD's design just to stay relevant in the market, that's why 64 bit Intel chips run on an architecture that Gentoo calls amd64. The 32 bit design is called x86 because that was the general name in use for 20+ years prior. Most other distros call the amd64 design by the name x86_64 or similar, Gentoo is the most visible exception. -- alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com
