run i386 on AMD64 ?

[Matthew Kuiken]

Ted Quick wrote:
> --- Beinan Li <li.beinan at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Got an AMD64 and installed the AMD64 dapper.
>> Unfortunately, a few problems such as the unavailable
>> flash player and the realplayer problem makes it
>> less of a functional system.
>>
>> I wonder whether I can run i386 dapper safely
>> on my AMD64 machine.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Beinan
> 
> Yes, others have done so. Thing is that the 64 bit Dapper only helps in certain ways to do
> anything faster or better, but had developmental difficulties that left some things not working.
> The 1386 version will work better across the board since the application programs are based in it.
> Sob using 1386 the processing is slower in only a few specific areas, not necessarily everything,
> so the speed difference is less than you might expect.
> 
> They've actually decided to drop the 64 bit version in future versions, starting IIRC with Edgy.

I think you are confusing the 64 bit version, and the 686/k8/SMP 
kernels.  In the i368 version there used to be several differently 
optimized kernels which are now all rolled into the -generic kernel.

To go back to the original poster's question, there is no reason you 
cannot run the i386 version on the AMD64 hardware.  It will not use your 
hardware to its full capabilities, but it will not cause damage, or work 
any differently than on a 32 bit processor.

-Matt