From: Sam Vilain (sam_at_vilain.net)
Date: Fri 26 Sep 2003 - 13:39:45 BST
I was looking into the 64-bit AMD platform (Opteron) the other day,
and noticed that AMD do not recommend using a 64-bit kernel with
32-bit OS libraries, but instead getting a fully 64-bit compliant
version of Linux (eg, SUSE Enterprise Linux at a `mere' US$760 per
license).
However, AFAIK the real problem lies when you try to link 32-bit and
64-bit compiled code together, not the kernel to userland interface.
This is why debian are introducing / toying with the idea of libfoo64
packages, which install to /lib64, /usr/lib64, etc.
But as each vserver has independant copies of the libraries, that
makes it possible to safely run fully 64 bit environments alongside 32
bit environments by compiling everything yourself for those vservers,
with new versions of all the tool chains as recommended by AMD.
This is nothing new, just an interesting conjecture. I intend to put
this theory to the test in a week or two :-).
-- Sam Vilain, sam_at_vilain.netI can live for two months on a good compliment. MARK TWAIN