Multilib Slackware - disadvantages?
 

I am aware of the advantages of a multilib Slackware system.

Are there any disadvantages, other than having to take more care of updates and suchlike?

Can't say I have noticed any, If you run a stable release and add a couple of lines to /etc/slackpkg/blacklist like this Then you should have no problems. If you run current then you will have much more updating to do.

I always wait until the release stabilizes before downloading and adding the multi-lib additions.

samac

None that I'm aware of, but I'm just an end user.
:)

I would have asked the question the other way around: "Pure 64-bit Slackware - disadvantages?"

and the answer to that one is simply one: skype.

You can get around that one by using the "static" skype package for 64 bits (it is not really static as it includes a few 32-bit libraries to make it work, however these are only available to skype, they don't "pulute" the rest of the system)

there is a good reason why Pat only makes a pure 64-bit build.

(BTW, I remember running 64-bit machines back in 1996...)

Wine users will probably want a multilib system too.

EDIT: Also - Android SDK. I'll think of more. later probably.

As far as I am aware, you might be using more space for both libs, and your system is a tad more complex as a result. I prefer to run pure 64 bit if I have no need for 32 bit libs. But I generally do need them.

Never trusted it, never wanted it, never installed it.

There are no real advantages or disadvantages to running multilib, other than the ability not to run some 32-bit software. That's why multilib is offered as optional to Slackware.

There may be some problems compiling source code to 64-bit binary: some stuff may build without problems on a pure 64-bit system but may need some tricks on a multilib system. If you use SlackBuilds.org scripts, see here: http://slackbuilds.org/faq/#multilib

I did not manage to compile the WRF weather model on multilib Slackware. But on stock 64-bit it compiles without problems.
So the next Slackware installation on both my machines will be pure 64 bit Slackware 14. Skype can be installed neatly using the
package with bundled 32-bit libraries, provided in a thread in this forum. I just wish such a package existed also for acroread (Adobe Acrobat Reader).

I'm using VirtualBox on Slackware64, and this one also requires Multilib to build.

You can use the VirtualBox 64bit version from orcale, it's the Slackbuild for Virtualbox which can only install the 32bit version.

I mean the "all distributions AMD64 link here: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

Markus