I posted this in the "software" forum but I got no replies so I'll post it here instead:

Why is it that I can run i386 binaries on my x86_64 fedora core 4 before I install the drivers (from nvidia.com) for my graphics card but not afterwards?
I can't run Open office, even!
I want to know if there's some way of getting past this problem. I want to have good performance AND be able to run programs.
I tried running a blender binary for i386 before installing the drivers and it worked fine, but now I get this error message:

Any help would be great.

I'm a Debian user so I'm sorry I can't give you an exact answer.
In Debian I have built a kernel module and then a "nvidia-glx" package which includes the 64bit libraries needed. This package redirects some of the exisiting libraries (libGL.so eg). To run 32 bit programs there is another package "nvidia-glx-ia32" which provides the 32bit equivalents. (The package management system makes sure they are separate) If I run ldd on a 32bit OpenGL app, the nvidia libs are shown.
As I said I don't know how to go about setting this up in FC4 but hopefully it can set you on the right track when searching for an answer

I have no problem at all running 32-bit apps on my x86_64 Fedora 4 system, and I use the Nvidia driver, too. I use the bin script from Nvidia, not the rpm from Livna. How did you go about installing the driver? Here's what works for me. I have to do it every time I upgrade my kernel, but it takes only about 5 minutes.

1. Upgrade the kernel using rpm, yum, up2date, whatever. Don't reboot until after step 2.

2. Edit inittab to default runlevel 3.
# gedit /etc/inittab
Change "id:5:initdefault:"
To "id:3:initdefault:"

3. Reboot. X won't start. Use the terminal command line.

4. Login as root, then run the driver install script as follows. (I store my Nvidia scripts in /opt/src/nvidia.) Follow the script's directions. Read the nvidia readme that comes with the driver package.
# cd /opt/src/nvidia
# ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-1.0-7676-pkg2.run

5. Save a copy of /etc/X11/xorg.conf, then modify the original if this is the first time you're installing the Nvidia driver. You generally won't have to change xorg.conf for future driver releases.

6. Edit inittab to default runlevel 5.
# gedit /etc/inittab
Change "id:3:initdefault:"
To "id:5:initdefault:"

7. Reboot. X should start up. You're done.

I tried the rpm from Livna, and it works now

Thanks guys!