MX Linux Forum

joany wrote:I have a question that's slightly off-topic. I've only run 32-bit and 32-bit pae systems on my computer, but my CPU has virtualization capabilities (AMD-V), which allows me to install 64-bit guest OSes in VirtualBox. I assume that the computing power of a 64-bit guest OS is still limited by the 32-bit computing power of the host. In other words, there would be no improvement in performance of a 64-bit guest OS versus a 32-bit guest OS. Am I correct?

64-bit Host will run a VM smoother than 32-bit Host will. Try breakout or something similar on a 64-bit Host. Then run it on a 32-bit Host. I've never tried to see if there is a difference in a Guest VM running 32 and 64-bit.

I had installed 64-bit MEPIS 8.0 years ago and found some of the programs I used frequently didn't run as well as they did on a 32-bit system, but I understand that times have changed and there have been major improvements to the stability and usability of 64-bit. Although I'm sticking with MX-14 (32-bit pae) for the foreseeable future, AntiX looks quite attractive as a second option. So I might try 64-bit AntiX with KDE in the future.

Fwiw, I think I now have a 64bit MX-14.2 install.

Over the weekend I spent some time converting a i386 install (MX-14.2-pae.iso) over to amd64.

I roughly followed the instructions here: http://www.ewan.cc/?q=node/90, at least until I ran into some problems around step 9.

1072 of the 1074 i386 packages have been switched over to amd64 packages. l currently have only one i386.deb package installed, fbxkb-antix, and I may end up removing it because it doesn't seem to work. I think fbxkb-antix might work if it was rebuilt for 64bit. (but I don't know where the source is).

I also don't have Adrian's gui installer (installer-mx) installed because it's currently only available in a i386 package. Actually it looks like the i386 package is installable, but it wants to remove a couple 64bit packages and install 32bit versions in their place, and install several other 32bit packages. I think a 64bit installer package could be built, the source is on github but it's not debianized.

Here's a summary of the differences between my 64bit install and the 32bit MX-14.2-pae install it started out as:

Kernel differences

__---amd64--__
linux-headers-3.12-0.bpo.1-amd64 ___3.12.9-1~bpo70+1
linux-image-3.12-0.bpo.1-amd64 _____3.12.9-1~bpo70+1

__---i386---__
linux-headers-3.12-0.bpo.1-686-pae _3.12.9-1~bpo70+1
linux-image-3.12-0.bpo.1-686-pae ___3.12.9-1~bpo70+1

miscellaneous package version differences

____________________________--i386-- ______________--amd64--

antix-goodies ______________0.4.7 _________________0.4.7.1
bc _________________________1.06.95-2 _____________1.06.95-2+b1
dbus _______________________1.6.8-1+deb7u1 ________1.6.8-1+deb7u3
dbus-x11 ___________________1.6.8-1+deb7u1 ________1.6.8-1+deb7u3
dc _________________________1.06.95-2 _____________1.06.95-2+b1
gparted ___________________ 0.12.1-2 ______________0.12.1-2+b1
gtkdialog _________________ 2:0.7.20-4.2 __________2:0.7.20-3
intel-microcode ____________2.20140430.1~bpo70+1 __2.20140624.1~bpo70+1
libdbus-1-3 ________________1.6.8-1+deb7u1 _______ 1.6.8-1+deb7u3
libusb-1.0-0 _______________2:1.0.18-2~bpo70+1 ____2:1.0.19-1~bpo70+1
python-six _________________1.7.2-1~bpo70+1 _______1.7.3-1~bpo70+1
wpasupplicant ______________1.0-3+b1 ______________1.0-3+b2
xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin ___1.3.1-1 _______________1.4.0-mx140+1

i386 packages not installed, or not working

fbxkb-antix
installer-mx

Hi Everyone,

So, are we going to see an official 64-bit version soon?

Thanks, Michael.

cuscotravelservices wrote:Hi Everyone,

So, are we going to see an official 64-bit version soon?

Thanks, Michael.

As we have said many times, that would probably only happen if and when a Community member or (preferably) group took it over as a project. That would mean not only development, but also maintenance and support. Same goes for MX KDE.

The current Development Team has enough to do already...

I also don't have Adrian's gui installer (installer-mx) installed because it's currently only available in a i386 package. Actually it looks like the i386 package is installable, but it wants to remove a couple 64bit packages and install 32bit versions in their place, and install several other 32bit packages. I think a 64bit installer package could be built, the source is on github but it's not debianized.

You can git clone my repo and then run qmake && make on a 64bit Linux and obtain the 64bit executable. You need of course all the qt dependencies to run qmake and make.

Adrian wrote:

I also don't have Adrian's gui installer (installer-mx) installed because it's currently only available in a i386 package. Actually it looks like the i386 package is installable, but it wants to remove a couple 64bit packages and install 32bit versions in their place, and install several other 32bit packages. I think a 64bit installer package could be built, the source is on github but it's not debianized.

You can git clone my repo and then run qmake && make on a 64bit Linux and obtain the 64bit executable. You need of course all the qt dependencies to run qmake and make.

A day or so after I posted that I managed to debianize your source and build a 64bit "installer-mx" package. I installed it, but I haven't tried using it.

I created a snapshot iso of my 64bit install, but the LiveUSB I made with that iso wouldn't boot (the initrd still had the original i386 modules in it -- which might be the reason it wouldn't boot). I stopped playing around with it after that.

kmathern wrote:
I created a snapshot iso of my 64bit install, but the LiveUSB I made with that iso wouldn't boot (the initrd still had the original i386 modules in it -- which might be the reason it wouldn't boot). I stopped playing around with it after that.

You would need the 64 bit modules in the initrd.gz if you are using a 64 bit kernel.

As Jerry has pointed out several times, there is a lot of work involved in building and supporting a 64bit version of MX.

I wonder if it is that difficult... once we get that initrd with the 64bit modules then most of the packages just come from Debian with their 64bit versions, I think MX packages can all be built on 64bit arch without problems. It's double the work to build the CD, true, but I think most of it can be done automatically.

Adrian wrote:I wonder if it is that difficult... once we get that initrd with the 64bit modules then most of the packages just come from Debian with their 64bit versions, I think MX packages can all be built on 64bit arch without problems. It's double the work to build the CD, true, but I think most of it can be done automatically.

The building is relatively easy, though a bit time-consuming. However, there will be added 'issues' with things such as skype, netflix etc that don't seem to work too well on 64 bit linux.