From: Alvaro Figueroa <fede2@fuerzag.ulatina.ac.cr> Date: 18 Feb 2002 10:01:57 -0600 Message-Id: <1014048117.1920.12.camel@lucy> Subject: Re: [suse-sparc] 64 bit Kernel 32 bit userland.
> Stupid Question....
No it isnt. Quite an interesting topic BTW.
> But, The kernel uses 64 bit instructions on Sparc Ultras and the user
> applications use 32 bit instructions, is this because Linux can't support 64
> bit applications or can applications only access a 32 bit address space?
This is because, it has been set up this way.
The kernel does support 64 bit aplications, and aplications can access
the 64 bit address space, but they need to be compiled[1] as 64 bit
aplications.
The reason why this has been set up this way, is because a 64 bit
userland will be slower that a 32 bit userland, because they need to map
those _large_ 64 bit adresses. The only cases in which you will need 64
bit aplications is when you have (for example) a *huge* database.
I really don't know if there is any adventages in running processes in a
64 bit userland. You just don't compile stuff in 64 bits because you
arch will handle them...
> So
> how do I know applications I compile are 32 bit or 64 bit?
> Can someone point me at an explanation of what's going on?
Using "file". This will show output like
ELF 32-bit MSB executable, SPARC, version 1, blah, blah
or
ELF 64-bit MSB executable, SPARC V9, version 1, blah, blah
To compile this aplications you need a cross compiler that will do the
job. As usual, I don't have an idea if SuSE has a package with this
compiler in it ;)
[1] Or cross compiled if you will
-- Alvaro Figueroa-- To unsubscribe, e-mail: suse-sparc-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands, e-mail: suse-sparc-help@suse.com
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