Can PCLinuxOS go 64 bit only once we complete the 64 bit job?

[sling-shot]

Once the 64 bit release is finalised and all packages are readied, should we just go 64 bit ONLY?

Upside :
It will significantly reduce the burden on our limited packagers. Making sure a package works in both versions seems to be a lot of headache and additional man hours.
Avoid confusion for people in deciding which version to go for.

Downside :
Some packages may not yet play nice on 64 bit / not yet available for 64 bit.
64 bit version may use more RAM thus affected resource limited systems.
Some people may still be using 32 bit only hardware.

[Old-Polack]

In answer to your subject line... No!

[joechimp]

In answer to your subject line... No!

That pretty much says it all

[tschommer]

Some people may still be using 32 bit only hardware.

I think that's exactly one of the main reasons. I've come across several posts where members were thrilled to be able to run PCLOS on an old system that just doesn't have the specs to run 64 bit.

And besides, what would be the point of having so many light-weight DEs (LXDE, Openbox, Fluxbox, etc.)?

[RobNJ]

In answer to your subject line... No!

+100

[µT6]

yes, i am seeing the need of more ram right now, probably i need 500 mbs more to get the same speed and avoid swap usage so it is something to consider

lots of users here have recovered and put to use pcs build before 2003 so that means that none of those are 64 bit capable

i'm sure that those users won't accept to loose those machines yet, even when many of them are well over 10 years of use, some users are probably still using PIII machines that can be perfectly usable as internet machines between other uses

both versions should coexist for a couple years while people migrates to the new version i think, double work with packages and testing stuff but seems to be necessary, personally i won't use 32 bit anymore, maybe on livecd

[muungwana]

once the 64 bit release is finalised and all packages are readied, should we just go 64 bit ONLY?
[..]
Some people may still be using 32 bit only hardware.

I guess all it takes for "some people" to be a valid statement is to have atleast one person and the statement is valid since i will be first to say i am among those with 32 bit only system.

Shouldnt the question first be "what percentage of pclinuxos users have 32 bit only systems?" I would guess the answer is "the majority" but i doubt its currently possible to get clean numbers of users.

It will be odd to say the least if the 32 bit system will be discontinued any time soon.

I find it odd even for the question to be asked at this time but i guess its was going to be asked sooner or later but i expected it to be asked after the 64 bit version has taken off and the majority of downloads comes from it.

[µT6]

odd?  this question has been asked in the past a couple times

Texstar asked years ago, how many of us had 64 bit machines before starting the 64 bit project, the data gathered seemed to show that there is far more 64 bit machines than 32 bit machines 2 years ago

people won't like to see 32 bit disappear but 32 bit machines are just waiting to die now(some are from 1999 or older) so it is just a matter of time, won't take long to see those end recycled, probably 3 years

it will end on the same situation we had some time ago, when a new kernel stopped supporting old cpus(PII i think it was) some users complained, but it is becoming a really small userbase, same will be with 32 bt users

[muungwana]

odd?  this question has been asked in the past a couple times

Texstar asked years ago, how many of us had 64 bit machines before starting the 64 bit project, the data gathered seemed to show that there is far more 64 bit machines than 32 bit machines 2 years ago

can you point to the gathered data?

That question was asked to see if there is a demand for 64 bit version of the distro to justify the cost of creating and maintaining it.
The question asked in this thread is if there is a demand for 32 bit version to justify the cost of maintaining it.

The two questions are not the same.

How many new users will the distro get as a result of offering a 64 bit system?
How many current users will shift from 32 bit system to 64 bit system when it becomes available?
How many of those with 64 bit will prefer 64 bit version over 32 bit version?

The best we can do with the above questions is speculate at this point.

To discuss the dropping of the current system when there is no provable demand for a new system seem odd to me.

[kjpetrie]

My EeePC is about 3 years old and is 32-bit. So most new equipment is 64-bit, but not all.

It isn't onerous for packagers to test the build in two machines before submitting the SRPM if they build the package properly - just a final test on the other architecture before submitting. If the package is right the build and test install will just work.

[YouCanToo]

"Can PCLinuxOS go 64 bit only once we complete the 64 bit job?"

1. no
2. no
3. NO

It would be rather silly to think because we get a 64 bit version that those who have and use 32 bit systems are going to switch. Perhaps as the older equipment finally gives up and dies.  I have a combination of both 32 and 64 bit systems.  Personally for those things that I do with my system, the 64 bit DOES NOT give me any great benefits and does not bring any new stability to any of my systems. Matter in fact there are still programs that only run on the 32 bit system and not 64 bit.
Just because some of our equipment is old doesn't mean it should be put out to pasture. When it dies or can no longer perform the tasks I need I will replace it with whatever system is currently available.

[µT6]

"The question asked in this thread is if there is a demand for 32 bit version to justify the cost of maintaining it.

The two questions are not the same."

i didn't said it was, but the more you consider this situation, the more you see that is the same, especially now

the info was on a poll made by Texstar years ago, can't remember the name of it but pointed to the fact that 64 bit hardware was becoming a majority

"How many current users will shift from 32 bit system to 64 bit system when it becomes available?"

i already jumped, i know that most will unless there is a specific app that doesn't work in 64 bit and they need it

"How many new users will the distro get as a result of offering a 64 bit system?"

pclinux is popular for being stable, now if you release a stable 64 bit version, i'm sure that a considerable number of users will try the distro, remember that many of the pclinux reviews made recently pointed to the fact that there is no 64 bit official release and this information discourages users from testing it

it is one of those situations where if you don' have it, need it or not, you are not relevant to others

"How many of those with 64 bit will prefer 64 bit version over 32 bit version?"

from the tests made by most users, me included, i haven't seen any comment pointing to people testing it and saying that will go back to 64 bit, for most of us, the system seems to work faster and surely loads faster, in my case is 20 seconds faster than the practically same 32 bit install

"The best we can do with the above questions is speculate at this point."

you are not seeing this objectively, this is sandbox, of course that everything is speculation, you can't point to people here and say that you are wrong

"To discuss the dropping of the current system when there is no provable demand for a new system seem odd to me."

there is a demand, that is why i am writing this from pclinux 64 bit rc1

"My EeePC is about 3 years old and is 32-bit. So most new equipment is 64-bit, but not all."

is it a old celeron model? a shame they sold those cpus on those asus machines, mine is almost that old but has a atom 64 bit capable running pclinux 64 bit very comfortable

"Personally for those things that I do with my system, the 64 bit DOES NOT give me any great benefits and does not bring any new stability to any of my systems."

have you tested pclinux 64 bit rc1 deeply?

[YouCanToo]

How deep do I need to test RC1    Like I said  "for what I do the 64 bit DOES NOT give me any great benefits and does not bring any new stability to any of my systems."

[µT6]

your reply seems to say that you didn't tested it

deep as in use it for a week as your main os, see how fast it is, how stable it is and try to find solution to the problems that could arise from using it

the tools you mention you can't run on 64 bit, how do you know they don't work?  or is it that those are not yet in the testing repo?

those tools eventually will be migrated to 64 bit, when all major releases jump to 64 bit, developers must follow but if all people is as negative as you, it seems that we will have to be in 32 bit era for another decade

[gseaman]

Package for 32 and 64bit at the same time is not difficult. 64-bit has been slow, because it is a new platform, not because it is a second platform. As was said before, very little is required to keep 32-bit going strong. Until the kernel, or xorg, glibc or gcc quits supporting 32-bit, I think we can keep going strong.

Galen