OT - Which Linux?

[Lars T. Kyllingstad]

Walter Bright wrote:
> Lars T. Kyllingstad wrote:
>> Tip: If you have a 64-bit processor I would still recommend you 
>> install the 32-bit version of Ubuntu if you intend to use it mainly 
>> for coding. DMD is strictly a 32-bit compiler, and any library you 
>> want to use must also be 32-bit. Keeping a separate tree of 32-bit 
>> libraries in a 64-bit Ubuntu installation is possible (or should be, 
>> using the ia32-* packages), but I hear it's a pain.
> 
> I have 64 bit Ubuntu, use it to develop 32 bit apps, and haven't had 
> much problems.


Yeah, I do too, and I haven't had that much problems either. But my 
needs are simple. :)

For me, at first, it was enough to install the ia32-libs package plus 
some of the GCC multilib packages. But then, after a while, I found 
myself needing other libraries (BLAS and LAPACK) of which 32-bit 
versions weren't present in the package repository of my 64-bit Ubuntu. 
So I had to manually install them in a separate location from the 64-bit 
ones.

For two rather simple libraries that isn't really much of a hassle, but 
if you are, say, a game developer, and need a sound library, a 2D 
graphics library, a 3D graphics library, a networking library, etc. etc. 
etc. it all adds up.

I hate installing things manually, and if possible I *always* use the 
package manager. But maybe that's just me. :)

-Lars