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Having trouble installing a piece of hardware? Want to know if that peripheral is compatible with Linux?

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Old 10-12-2004, 11:16 AM   #1
nodger
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What is an i686?


well what is it?
 
Old 10-12-2004, 11:28 AM   #2
jtshaw
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everything starting with the Penium Pro and AMD k6 including Pentium II/III/4, Athlon's, ect.

It is a vague cpu architecture label that basically means the (when put in a file name for a binary) that you can't run it on older processors like a K5, or a Pentium/Pentium MMX.
 
Old 10-12-2004, 01:25 PM   #3
michaelk
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In a nut shell:

The different Intel CPU's
8086
8088
80186
80188
80286
80386 - The oldest processor that linux can run on.
80486
Pentium and compatable- i586
Pentium w/mmx and compatable- i686

In shorthand
i386 for 80386
You will also see x86 for Intel compatable

It basically references the CPU instruction set. Intel designed it to be downward compatable. Anything compiled for a i386 will work on a i686.
 
  


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