3 ms·

Instead of 32-bit i686 consider x32 ABI. It uses 32 bit pointers (good for memory) but has access to all the x64 registers, has SSE2 as a min. requirement, etc.

Instead of 32-bit i686 consider x32 ABI. It uses 32 bit pointers (good for memory) but has access to all the x64 registers, has SSE2 as a min. requirement, etc. which is great for performance - it's the best of both worlds

usr1106 4y ago
If your hardware is not too old. I still have 2 PCs that don't have 64 bit support. They still run Xubuntu 16.04 just fine, but have not upgraded or used them after that when out of support. Which distro offers x32? (Haven't checked, might be a stupid question...) I understood it was a great idea at the time, but implementation took a while and the world had moved on when it was finally ready.
- smoldesu 4y ago
  > Which distro offers x32? A lot of modern distros are still packaging for i686, but actually installing it might be a bit of a pain. I think your safest bet is to go with an OS like Debian that's sure to offer ample support for older systems, or you could go for broke and run a distro like Gentoo/Arch/NixOS that has package manifests/build instructions for each tool and pray that nothing breaks (spoilers: it will). So, temper your expectations; 32-bit systems aren't a huge priority nowadays, but I'm certain you could put together a usable config if you choose the right base system. Or just keep the machines as they are, I'm sure Xubuntu still runs fine.
  - yjftsjthsd-h 4y ago
    x32 is different from i686
yjftsjthsd-h 4y ago
My understanding - backed by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X32_ABI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X32_ABI - is that x32 has seen very little adoption and even Linux upstream has considered removing it. It appears to be available on Gentoo because of course it is, Debian if you jump through hoops (https://wiki.debian.org/X32Port https://wiki.debian.org/X32Port), and some embedded tool chains (I'm not running yocto on my laptop). Are there any other accessible options?

usr1106 4y ago

If your hardware is not too old. I still have 2 PCs that don't have 64 bit support. They still run Xubuntu 16.04 just fine, but have not upgraded or used them after that when out of support. Which distro offers x32? (Haven't checked, might be a stupid question...) I understood it was a great idea at the time, but implementation took a while and the world had moved on when it was finally ready.

smoldesu 4y ago
> Which distro offers x32? A lot of modern distros are still packaging for i686, but actually installing it might be a bit of a pain. I think your safest bet is to go with an OS like Debian that's sure to offer ample support for older systems, or you could go for broke and run a distro like Gentoo/Arch/NixOS that has package manifests/build instructions for each tool and pray that nothing breaks (spoilers: it will). So, temper your expectations; 32-bit systems aren't a huge priority nowadays, but I'm certain you could put together a usable config if you choose the right base system. Or just keep the machines as they are, I'm sure Xubuntu still runs fine.
- yjftsjthsd-h 4y ago
  x32 is different from i686

yjftsjthsd-h 4y ago

My understanding - backed by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X32_ABI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X32_ABI - is that x32 has seen very little adoption and even Linux upstream has considered removing it. It appears to be available on Gentoo because of course it is, Debian if you jump through hoops (https://wiki.debian.org/X32Port https://wiki.debian.org/X32Port), and some embedded tool chains (I'm not running yocto on my laptop). Are there any other accessible options?