4 ms·

I'm not at all convinced about making the general user choose between 32- and 64-bit versions at installation, given that even techies disagree on the relative

by mrec 10y ago

I'm not at all convinced about making the general user choose between 32- and 64-bit versions at installation, given that even techies disagree on the relative merits [1]. (Sometimes with themselves [2].) If the system only supports one or the other, the installer should be able to work that out. If it supports both, the installer should at least give some hints as to what the tradeoffs are. [1] https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ricom/2015/12/29/revisiting-64-bit-ness-in-visual-studio-and-elsewhere/ https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ricom/2015/12/29/revisiting... [2] https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ricom/2016/01/04/64-bit-visual-studio-the-pro-64-argument/ https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ricom/2016/01/04/64-bit-vis...

callahad 10y ago
The bitness choice (and that entire screenshotted dialog) is only present if you select "Advanced Options" in the bottom left of the installer's first screen, it's not something that we force every user through.
- mrec 10y ago
  Ah, OK, that makes more sense. Thanks. What's the default if you don't select "Advanced Options", btw?
  - callahad 10y ago
    We're still defaulting to 32-bit on systems where both are supported, but we hope to default to 64-bit around Firefox 55. We had to delay this due to issues with Flash, sandboxing, and Farmville 2: https://bugzil.la/1317995 https://bugzil.la/1317995 The tracking bug for making 64-bit the default is https://bugzil.la/1340936 https://bugzil.la/1340936
    - jbicha 10y ago
      So I can blame Farmville for Firefox not being 64-bit by default on Windows? :)
      - cpeterso 10y ago
        Yes :(
    - yuhong 10y ago
      I dislike how the JIT don't comply with Windows x64 SEH requirements anyway. As a side note, I fixed NSS: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1284375 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1284375
      - cpeterso 10y ago
        Yuhong, is there a bug filed for the x64 SpiderMonkey JIT issues? What is the side effect of not following the x86-64 ABI for JIT code?
        yuhong 10y ago
        SEH exception handling don't work properly and debuggers don't show a proper callstack. For it to work properly, the JIT has to generate "function tables" to allow Windows to do stack walking.

by mrec 10y ago

callahad 10y ago

The bitness choice (and that entire screenshotted dialog) is only present if you select "Advanced Options" in the bottom left of the installer's first screen, it's not something that we force every user through.

mrec 10y ago
Ah, OK, that makes more sense. Thanks. What's the default if you don't select "Advanced Options", btw?
- callahad 10y ago
  We're still defaulting to 32-bit on systems where both are supported, but we hope to default to 64-bit around Firefox 55. We had to delay this due to issues with Flash, sandboxing, and Farmville 2: https://bugzil.la/1317995 https://bugzil.la/1317995 The tracking bug for making 64-bit the default is https://bugzil.la/1340936 https://bugzil.la/1340936
  - jbicha 10y ago
    So I can blame Farmville for Firefox not being 64-bit by default on Windows? :)
    - cpeterso 10y ago
      Yes :(
  - yuhong 10y ago
    I dislike how the JIT don't comply with Windows x64 SEH requirements anyway. As a side note, I fixed NSS: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1284375 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1284375
    - cpeterso 10y ago
      Yuhong, is there a bug filed for the x64 SpiderMonkey JIT issues? What is the side effect of not following the x86-64 ABI for JIT code?
      - yuhong 10y ago
        SEH exception handling don't work properly and debuggers don't show a proper callstack. For it to work properly, the JIT has to generate "function tables" to allow Windows to do stack walking.