32-bit Linux w/8GB RAM -- possible? Or do I have to use 64-bit?

[Deja Q]

Well, I'm ready to try Linux again. I have read that Office 2007 and Photoshop CS4 can be made to work in WINE; a challenge I am eager to try. Love the apps, but despite it all I just don't like Vista's inability to hibernate and I still have a sour taste from the (relatively small) amount of data it corrupted before SP1 was released.

I still have my data archive discs and am downloading Suse 11.1 right now.

I'd read that, with the right kernel, 32-bit Linux can access more than 4GB -- is that for real? (I also know 32-bit Server 2003 can, but 32-bit XP And Vista workstation OSes cannot).

Or is it cleaner just to use 64-bit and not fiddle with any kludges or extensions, since that's bending the rules a bit...

I have a couple other MS apps as well, but I will pay for Dreamweaver suite if Expression suite w/Visual Studio does not work.

(I'll be making an image of my Vista OS HD before reformatting; I am not going to attempt dual booting - I've read enough about Vista's "updated" boot mechanism to not bother)

Thank you much.

[paparush]

1. From what I've found -

The standard 32 bit can handle at most 4GB of ram. To access more ram you have to enable the CONFIG_HIGHMEM64G option in kernel.

That said, Be bold! Go for the 64 bit! You'll find that printer driver..eventually. :-)

[RoyGBiv]

2. What paprush said ...

If you're going to be using openSuSE 11.1, you'll need to compile a custom kernel.

It's been awhile since I browsed through the SuSE repo directories, so I don't know what all versions of their kernels they offer for distribution. At one time they had a server kernel, and, I think, that one was a PAE kernel, which would allow for the high memory.

That said, you'll experience some performance issues with this once you throw everything on top of it, bring up X, then a desktop. They're not huge performance issues, but given the things you do, you'd probably notice.

The only reason to avoid a 64bit now, imo, is the driver issue. I've personally not had a problem, but some wireless routers can be challenge ... and of course printers, the perpetual problem.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. Did you hear?

Broadcom has actually released...wait for it...wait for it...

A 32 and 64bit Linux Kernel Module.

Of course, WPAx is still a problem, but I never thought I would live to see the day.

[Deja Q]

4. Excellent news!!

And once there's a PCIe X-Fi driver, things will be perfectly awesome.

[RoyGBiv]

5. !!!

:wow:

Here's another shocker ... ATI's Linux driver actually doesn't suck. Nvidia's driver now does, especially for those using KDE4. More details will be provided in a review of openSuSE 11.1/KDE 4.2 I'm planning on composing.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. That's weird.

Doesn't suck here. Works fine. What's happening on your end?

[RoyGBiv]

7. What version are you using?

I'm using 180.22 right now. Apparently there's a beta driver that addresses some of this, but I haven't gone that far yet.

The basic problem is in my SuSE review, which I know is long. I don't really know what all the sources of the problem are entirely, but while reading the NVidia forums, a developer did admit that the latest versions of their Linux driver are having issues with KDE 4.

And it may have something to do with the way SuSE implements KDE 4 for all I know.

Basically, the frame rates are much slower than I'm accustomed to seeing. Glxgears gives me around 1200 fps. (Prior to the install of the driver, it's around 300 fps) I normally see around 14,000 fps. I know glxgears is not a benchmarking tool really, but it can give you a general idea of how well things are working.

With the 3D effects of KWin turned off, the slowness is not noticeable. But, if I turn on KWin effects or Compiz-Fusion, everything slows to a crawl.

On my older 7600 card with previous versions of the driver and KDE 3.5, I had no hiccups at all with Compiz. With an 8600 GT, the current driver, and KDE 4, turning on these effects has a tendency to crash X.

I've been tweaking various things for days, and it's gotten better, but if what that developer said was correct, I'm not going to be able to fix all the problems until they do.

Apparently this is not a noticeable problem on the 9xxx and more advanced series of cards due to the raw power of them overcoming the driver insufficiencies.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

8. I am using...

180.22 as well. Although I have not been benchmarking framerates.

I guess it is borked.