[Debian-ppc64-devel] G5 install tips

[Sven Luther]

On Sat, Nov 03, 2007 at 08:21:17PM +0100, Thibaut VARENE wrote:
> On 11/3/07, Chuck <iMacG5 at disposeamail.com> wrote:
> > Charles Plessy,
> >
> > Well yes, I was asking about Debian 64-bit.  The ram is maxed at 2 gig
> > so 32-bit userland would be ok.  I would feel cleaner in pure 64 since
> > G5 is a 64-bit chip.  There are of bugs at any mode switch boundary.
> > People find more every day.
> 
> The G5 cpu will execute faster in 32bit mode than in 64bit most of the
> time for reasons that have been explained at great length elsewhere
> (and which also apply to other CPU families, btw)
> 
> Only a very limited subset of applications doing specific stuff would
> actually benefit from running in 64bit mode.
> 
> > What I'm after is install advice more than design discussions.  How
> > would I best proceed?  Even if I took your approach?  Don't I need a
> > 64bit kernel either way?  Given my requirements don't I have to build
> > it?  Given that, what's the best starting point?
> >
> > The PPC64 wiki claims 98% of userland is done.  What it does not cover
> > is "getting started."  I need install advice.  There's no up-to-date
> > installer that I found.
> 
> As far as I can tell, debian-ppc64 is pretty much dead at this point.
> The archive is in a pretty poor state, and it seems that nobody really
> cares. For a simple reason: most people actually run a 64bit kernel
> with a 32bit userland and occasional 64bit apps using libc64... And
> that's probably what you should do too...

Notice though that the plan to bring multiarch or at least biarch 64bit
support to debian all died in the witch hunt against me, i am aware of
nobody else being interested in it, and even the non-powerpc multiarch
proponents dropped their interest in frustration after the negative
feedback from the powers-that-be.

Friendly,

Sven Luther