[ATrpms-users] Re: mplayer win32codecs or firefox flash plugin on x86_64?

[Axel Thimm]

On Mon, Nov 14, 2005 at 04:00:45PM +0100, Tako Schotanus wrote:
> Ok, I back to testing the installation of a x86_64 system with bits of 
> i386 mixed in (like firefox for example).
> 
> So what I did was after having installed smart + the medley package and 
> after having upgraded was to _add_ the i386 version of each repository 
> to smart's list of channels.

That's a bit too much. I would only pull the ones I really need, as
random co-installs of applications like mplayer for 64 and 32 bits
will not work as you would wish.

> I can now say "smart install firefox at i386" and it wil install it, nice, 
> that works and it even takes care of a few missing i386 dependencies as 
> well, even better. :-)
> 
> I do have a couple of questions though before I continue:
> 
> 1. you can install both the 64 and 32 bit versions of firefox but 
> normally only the 64 bit version will be started. Both versions will 
> install the same startup scripts (one overwriting the other I assume) 

I think x86_64 wins.

> and in case of firefox the script checks if a 64 bit version exists and 
> will start that one over the 32 bits version. So to start the 32 bits 
> version you either have to start the actual firefox-bin (losing some of 
> the features handled by the script) or uninstall the 64 bit version. 
> This is not such a big problem, I just wondered if there might be 
> _other_ packages that don't handle being installed together that well? 

I would assume the opposite. If the package isn't offered in 32 and 64
bits in the 64 bits repo, chances are that it will break if installed
in both archs. Unless it is a lib, in which case it is handled sanely.

> Should I report cases like that if I encounter them? Or is the general 
> consensus that you shouldn't try to run 32 bit apps on a 64 bit system?

You should, but you should not install both 32 bits and 64 bits of the
same package (unless it is a library package). The idea is to fall
back to 32 bit apps when some don't exits for 64 bits, not have both
apps. firefox is an exception due to the plugins.

> In the meantime I'll see if I can get the other 32 bit apps working 
> (mplayer with win32codec, jpackage-java + ws/plugin, cedega).

mplayer for example is not modelled to have 64 bits and 32 bits
coexist. If you install both, you will efectivley have only the 64 bit
version.
-- 
Axel.Thimm at ATrpms.net
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