Linux distros for AMD 64
 

Ok, I'm as newbie as they come - I don't yet have any form of Linux. I just ordered a machine with an AMD 64 3000 CPU, and two 80 Gig SATA hard drives. I program on Windows machines for a living, so I have a free version of Windows XP, which I will install on one hard drive, so my kids can play their games and stuff.

I want to install Linux on the other hard drive, and use it as my primary operating system. It will be the operating system that gets to see the big, bad world (wide web), and I would like my kids to learn to use it.

Now for my question. Which Linux distributions support the AMD 64 chips? I know Suse does, and that Sun's desktop environment is based on it. I also know there is something called Linux 64, but other than that I'm kind of drowning in google hits. What else is out there? (I am reasonably computer literate, but I still would like a relatively easy install.)

Maybe one of the bsds?
Debain is working on one also.

Many Linux distributions support AMD64, as example you can look at Fedora which has an AMD64 version free for download.

Download from http://fedora.redhat.com or select one of the mirror sites near you.

The files you looking for are marked as “x86_64” which indicates that they are for AMD64.

Gentoo also has a AMD 64 port.

Read more about it here and here.

Mandrake also has an AMD64 version. And being Mandrake, is pretty newbie friendly.

Baldrick

gentoo, but i hear its a bitch to install and def. not a n00bz distro...go w/ mandrake imo

and get WinXP64bit

gentoo, but i hear its a bitch to install and def. not a n00bz distro...go w/ mandrake imo

and get WinXP64bit

Yeah, but XP64bit is shit, its in beta, no drivers, and its windows, so, you know.

Distribution doesn't matter, just compile your Kernel with x86-64 support and there you are. And you WILL compile your own kernel sooner or later.

By the way, why does everyone call this "64 bit stuff" ? As the name says it's a x86 with some bigger registers, or am I wrong?

Not that I'm a fan of the distro but Suse was one of the first big distros with a 64 bit release.

same config - looking for easy distro :)
 

HI slow...

(ABIT AMD64, 1gig, 1 Sata120, 1 IDE40, XP32, XP64...linux wanted)

I am looking for to install a FREE AMD64 distro beside my XP (until I can get rid of it)
...and do it the easiest way...

As for me: I downloaded Gentoo 1 CD, cool it s "free", not cool: it doesn t install easely (in my window point of view) ... according to everyone...
:study:
I went to "Linuxcollege" distro site, it says free AND EASY, but never mention about AMD64 support ready... ??? so more Cd to burn and time to waste...

Good or not I could not boot that Madrake 10.0 community version (3cd) a friend gave me... although Madranke is said to be easy to install !

Suse ?
I didn t download, but it s not free (MDK either for the AMD64 / see website)

So, I am just waisting a lot of time trying to locate that AMD64 easy and free version... and I am not yet ready (if ever) to compile systems like some users think we could...

I want to drive a car... without building it from parts !

Have you found or instaled something on your side yet ?
Maybe we can share time spent on testing...
Thanks
64...rules ;)
(well...soon)

:newbie:

http://www.suse.com/us/private/downl...nux/index.html

You can download the Suse Linux 9.1 cd iso image from this link It supports AMD64

Umm ... the AMD64 version is available here. Admittedly, it's ver 10.0-rc1, but it is for the AMD64 ... and free.

Baldrick

Thanks for sharing this info !
 

downloading Downloading....:study:

hey amd64, I'll be glad to share stories with you.

My computer is still in the works. I ordered it from Monarch Computing, and it won't be shipped for a few days yet, so I have no lessons to share, yet.

I think I have settled on Suse 9.1 Pro, or later. I want something easy to install, and from what I've read here, and elsewhere, it sounds like my best bet for an operating system that U can install easily. (If I struggle too much setting it up, I'll never get the wife and minions to migrate from Windows. Until proven otherwise, my wife will just assume Windows is easier, even though she could never install it, either.) I can afford to pay for one reasonably priced operating system, but I can't download the operating system until after I have it, so I'll buy it. (Work rules prevent big downloads like that, and by the time I can get broadband at home, I'll have my new computer.) XP Pro is roughlytwice the cost of Suse Pro, so the fact that I have a free (and legal!) copy of it is rather handy.

I still haven't quite figured out which operating system to install first. I was thinking of installing Suse on the "first" hard drive, and Windows XP Pro on the "second". One question is do a format both as FAT32 or the windows drive as ntfs. I am leaning towards both as FAT32, so that I can ghost the Windows install to the Suse disk, and the Suse install to the Windows disk. Then I will set up my users in each operating system, and set up Linux to run off my modem and make sure that works. My last step will be to load the software I (and the kids) need onto the Windows disk. Then I will let the kids play on the Linux side to get used to it, while figure out what I want to do with broadband. Finally, I will get more RAM (upgrade from 512 to 1 Gig, which must await paying off the computer) so that Windows will actually run worth a damn.

rntm, when number crunching there is a difference between software that is optimized for 64 bit processing, and one that is merely compiled for a 64 bit processor. I doubt anyone has really done the former however, and I don't know how much difference such optimization would make with the operating system.

Ubuntu

AMD64 ISO

AMD64
 

Well,the support for AMD64 seems to be very,very poor;I'll give you the anthology:these are the installs I tried myself:

-SUSE 9.1(amd64-mode) :is the most useable as long as you don't have an USB keyboard and mouse;with ps2 it works
-Debian -32bit-mode works without problems(Sarge)
-64bit-mode :text-mode no problem,kde and gnome broken (google for amd64 and debian to find it,use netinstall
-Gentoo 2.6:(amd64)had a perfectly useable system but gets more broken by the hour! Avoid it in this moment.
-Fedora2.99:Rather useable but does weird things when updated
-Mandrake10.0(32bit)Installs perfectly,but looses keyboard and mouse at the end of the install,leaving you with an inaccessable machine

In general there seem to be problems with keyboard and mouse,ethernet and disk detection and on top of it there are only a few real 64-bit progs working

It's usually easier to install Windows first and linux (any distro) second, since Windows assumes it's the only OS being run and doesn't play nice with other bootloaders.

Also, what on earth are you doing that would routinely require more than 512MB of RAM? Windows XP run's just fine with 512MB.

Downloading Downloading
 

Hi Slow !

Yes, different approach yet... I am downloading Free Candidate versions of MDK Linux... and facing problems... burning a CD
- although md5sum check no error.

So yes buying a version is sure better if you r confident that Suze is what you need. I tried Mandrake years ago and it was already very cool to instal so I stick with it unless I face the contrary about their AMD64 versions. I might switch to suze (is any version Free to try ?)
... after you tell me how good/bad it runs... I could do it... ehehe :)

Check the order you have to install the two OSes, I read you can t install in whatever ways (I think XP has to install first)
I ll learn more about how to set up Booting.

I remember how it was a headache to remove the Linux Boot from a HD.
It was not like Formating Windows and it s gone...
I had to use an ONTRACK Disk utility to Low Format the HD.
(Look for the one for your HD Brand now... if you plan several re-instals)

:scratch:
(Funny Idea that to have your wife learning how to instal Linux... but if she likes that..:) - I would wait until you succesfully can do the Image thing to show her that easier job)
But again...I don t know how things have improoved under Linux Suze or MDK ...since then !

About partitioning... Is suze able to read/modify windows NTFS partitions ?, I dont think...?..., so that leaves no much choice but FATxx
( I heard that...needs checking)

Finaly I am more worrying about the SATA disk drivers that were not available in the XP version I had. Had to download them... But SATA drivers doesn t seem to be an issue under Linux... Goood !
The Wide band will serve U a lot if you set your system to do automatic updates as I see some Linuxes distro, can work that way.

Another thing is that I am always partitioning any disk at least in two.
first partition for the O.S.
Second partition for the data.

(With my 120HD I made 4 small partitions for the OSes only. (with a double install of each O.S.) so I am never unable to access the BIGest partition wih datum if one of the O.S. crashes. (bugged newly instaled softwares or viruses)
Beside burning Video DVD requires having ONE BIG partition you can defrag. at any time...
Can you beleive that I have less problems buring DVDs than these CDs ???

Also it makes defragmenting the Datas...much worth/faster
don t know how this works under Linux...??

Use of images is a really good thing, I just never took time to set up Ghost backups and etc...

True about memory !!!
you wont use more than 512 under XP...(Linux ???)
...unless you do some Video editing, burning DVDs like I do.

So don t jump to another Chocolate bar too quickly or invest in something really needed, first ...Like a Car Control for your games !!! :)

Thanks a lot to Anyone posting here about the available AMD64 distro and status... !
This helps !!!

and ..."Who on earth!" - but Newbies and the German Gov. - would to try to set up Linux on AMD64 at this moment ???

:study:
:newbie:

To rakesh_em
 

Helo rakesh_em

What version of these two ISO Does suuport AMD64 ?

SUSE LINUX for i386 Live-Eval
or
SUSE LINUX for i386 Personal
:Pengy:

dsegal, I manage a small group that is writing a .NET distributed (web based) program. Most of us use our desktops as the SQL Server database server (there's about 60 Meg right there), the application server, web server (and hence IIS) and client, when debugging code. At home, I would have to do that. (I am trying to get back in touch with my tech skills. I also want to develop some J2EE apps just to make finding a new job, god forbid it be necessary, easier.) Even without doing that though, 512 just isn't always enough. It all depends on how many services you run. It is shockingly easy to make Windows a real pig.

mianka, you made me double check. I didn't order either a keyboard or a mouse. So, I'm safe. I'll be using ps2. Do you just get Pro to get the AMD64 version, or is that a seperate product?

amd64, I didn't mean getting my wife to install it. But if she sees me making a real effort and spending a lot of time installing Linux, she will assume she can't use it. :rolleyes: Rational? No. But I didn't marry her for her rational analysis skills.

As far as the hard disk format, I the only partition I will make NTFS is the primary Windows partition. For Windows, I am planning on three partitions: the primary install partition, a swap space partition, and a "data" partition. The install partition is the one I will image. I will just back up the data partition, although I will install a few programs, like SQL Server, on it.

I haven't decided on the Linux side. I was thinking of the same concept there, although all FAT32. Possibly a fourth partition for email downloads, which I tend to keep indefinitely. That way I won't wasate time defragging them. (Or is that not an issue with Linux?) I should be able to image Windows on the Linux data partition, and Linux on the Windows data partition. Unless there is a good reason not to, I was thinking I could run Ghost, or something similar, from Windows to make both images.

Slow... and a swap partition, of course :) !
I did that on a partition I don t use, where Linux is going to be soon !
I hope.

With 2 disk you wouldn t be far from installing a Raid system !
(any third disk ?)
If I remember RAID Auto-defrag constantly - whatever Os you are running on- plus they give you an extra reading/writing speed if you are running server demanding application, as you seem to be working on...

Although they are more "crashproof", they may be a lil harder to set up compared to separe disks, and (unless hotswapable) a lil more tricky...if they do crash !

If you havent got a M.B. yet, I am using an ABIT MAX3 and (except for the NB fan I had to oil once !) it s been working for 3 months 16hrs a day pretty stable. :cool:

If all family is going to be working at same time, check out betwin soft that install up to 4 users with one PC and extra monitors/kb/mice :p !

LX Distros for amd64
 

To slowmindThinkin:
It"s the full(green) box;it contains both versions,just flip the dvd!

Thanks Mianke.

Amd64, the system I am getting is raid compatible, but I figured I'd deal with one complexity at a time. First, get a handle on Linux and dual boot systems, then maybe worry about a raid set up.

As near as I can tell there are no free versions of suze that fully support 64 bit. I suppose you could build your own. Of course, if I knew much, I wouldn't have started a thread in the newbie forum.

Another thread in this forum mentioned a Linux.org site, that has a nice search for particular distros. I searched for 64 bit compatible and it gave four hits, but not Mandrake. Ubuntu and PLD were listed.

Downloads..
 

Many in the forum posted about this site:
good source: 100 versions available... :p

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ht=distrowatch