Fedora 9 32 or 64 Bit - Which One?

[Bill Davidsen]

Alan Cox wrote:
>> I don't particularly care about small differences in performance, and I
>> do like running a highly featured desktop.  But the real question is
>> whether any performance advantage of desktop 64-bit for < 4 GB is worth
>> the hassle.  As to that, I'm still very unconvinced.
> 
> What hassle ?
> 
> My desktop is FC9 x86-64 and all the crud like flash just works with the
> plugin stuff as shipped in FC9. Older FC there were some fun problems
> with plugins but I've not seen any evidence of them for F9 or any other
> hassles.
> 
I think I see the reason this 32 vs 64 doesn't get resolved, the people who say 
"what hassles" or "it just works" are all either genuine experts such as you, 
people who do system administration "as a job" rather than "so they can do their 
job," and a few people who present themselves as experts and expect others to 
take opinion as gospel, actual expertise unknown. Based on notes about having to 
hand install both 32 bit and 64 bit versions of libraries and a few other minor 
diddles, which are not worth noticing to the experts, but confusing and 
worrisome for the users who are either just running applications or developing 
desktop applications.

I think those of us using a mix of 32 bit and 64 bit CPUs would have to see an 
easily measured performance gain to go 64 bit on the machines which can do so, 
because the hassle factor of supporting multiple versions of the rest of the 
system is measurable.

I think the answer is that many more people are running 32 bit systems, and 
unless you have some need to run very large applications, or a large server, or 
large memory, you will be using more widely tested compilations of the software, 
and will have a larger group of experienced users to answer questions. That's 
the best reason to stay 32 bit now, lacking a benefit from 64 bit.

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot