[wplug] cores

[Patrick Wagstrom]

Zach wrote:
> Ah so if I install a 64-bit Linux kernel users could still run 32-bit
> apps transparently? I am just wondering how much of a gain, if any,
> one gets by moving to a 64-bit kernel. I heard that code will "run
> faster" or do that only apply to optimized assembly language routines
> and not code written in higher level languages? Have you run any
> stress tests on your 64-bit kernel and compared the results to those
> for a 32-bit?

Unless you plan on using more than 3G of memory in a system, there are very 
few reasons to move to 64bit.  Your code will not become faster -- in 
general it may be slower because of the fact that pointers are 64 bits 
instead of 32 bits.  Yes, you can install 32 bit libraries in Linux next to 
your 64 bit stuff, it's gotten easier, but it's basically a parallel 
installation process.

Also, almost no code is written in assembly anymore (but it still is useful 
to know and understand it).  In most cases a good C compiler can generate 
code that is just as good.

--Patrick