best 64-bit linux distro

Discussion in 'Linux - General discussion' started by navskin, Feb 14, 2008.

  1. navskin

    navskin Regular member

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    hi i am new to linux but o have had a look at some distos like

    ubuntu
    pclinuxos
    dream linux
    suse 10.X

    but what i want to know if some one could help me with is a 64-bit versions of linux what distro do a 64-bit version, i know that i mat not be very stable , or that what i heard off a friend. i have have been told that 64-bit OS can improve you system proformce by 30%. is this true?

    thanks
     
  2. varnull

    varnull Guest

    sabayon.. no competition.

    All the major distros have 64bit versions as well.. look for x86_64 in the listings.

    BTW.. there is no "best" with linux.. better lose those windows ideas.. with linux and open source in general "best" is what works for you.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 14, 2008
  3. ktulu14

    ktulu14 Regular member

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    I am a 64bit user, i have tried (in no particular order) Sabayon, 64Studio, Debian 64. I was until recently totally using 64Studio, there stable release with a few unstable bits added in. I don't know how but i f**ked it up. When it was working it is a good distro (based on debian), very biased towards multimedia (sound in particular) and because it was based on debian reliable as hell.

    Sabayon is a fantastic distro. I installed it alongside an ubuntu install i had on this and my god does it work. everything works out of the box but it does take a hell of a long time to install, and when you upgrade/install new software in it, be prepared to wait a while (based on gentoo so is a binary/source based distro and builds everything from scratch, which is why it works so well i think).

    I now have a 64bit Debian install only on my PC (decided to settle on one and run with it). It is from the "testing" branch of debian (Lenny) and TBH i have found it better than Debian Etch 64. As yet I have been unable to break it (but I am sure i will at some stage lol), but it runs and runs an runs (from my top file
    top - 19:33:53 up 14 days, 8:10, 2 users, load average: 0.49, 0.34, 0.37
    Tasks: 110 total, 1 running, 109 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie
    Cpu(s): 0.0%us, 0.3%sy, 0.0%ni, 99.0%id, 0.0%wa, 0.7%hi, 0.0%si, 0.0%st)
    and i haven't had to reboot it once.
     
  4. OzMick

    OzMick Guest

    Arch has 64 bit. I've previously installed it on both laptop and desktop, only annoyances were the "usual" 64 bit programs that will probably be an issue regardless of distro: Flash, Wine etc. Everything else installed and ran fine.

    Performance will only really show if you do a lot of heavy math such as in video or audio processing. 30% more performance might be true, but that potential is only recognized if you're really working with a lot of 64 bit operations and when you really need results fast. You can always schedule video processing to run while you're asleep, so using 64 bit for the extra performance isn't that great an excuse. It isn't going to make you type out a document any faster.

    BUT, the only way we'll get drivers written for 64 bit is if more people do take advantage of the potential and actually install a 64 bit distro and add their voice to the screams for better support. So at least install it, check if your hardware works, kick and scream for support if it isn't, and then consider whether it is for you.

    Everything worked that I wanted, but just to save downloading 2 different versions of everything, I've rationalized everything back to 32 bit as some computers I work with don't yet have 64 bit support. Important thing is that I know it will all work on my hardware if there is a compelling reason to go back some day.
     
  5. navskin

    navskin Regular member

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    thanks for the input people as yoy said i need to find what works with, my hardware as well as what i need to the job. i have a small problems with ubnutu tho i can get the berly to work with my nvidia 7200gs , it says the drivers is not active , but when i go to avtivate the driver it dose not go active can anyone help with this i need to get the 32-bit working good before the 64-bit.

    sorry for late reply.

    thanks
     
  6. varnull

    varnull Guest

    Think you need to compile the aiglx stuff yourself. It isn't distributed with most distros because.. well I don't know. probably because nvidia drivers are not open source.

    Can't help.. I prefer clean straight cpu cycles for doing stuff rather than dressed up bling pointlessness.

    Try the beryl site.. Don't think any of us have even bothered with 3d desktops. (I don't even install a graphic desktop on 70% of my machines)
     
  7. killaklan

    killaklan Regular member

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    never tried it but OzOS looks very nice and it uses the e17 environment
     
  8. OzMick

    OzMick Guest

    Wow, someone must have sat down and thought... You know, how can we make Ubuntu even less secure? I know! apturl!

    Sounds like you'd need to be a foo to use it, looks like a recipe for disaster. I'd hate to be on their user forums, the potential for malware installation is insane...
     
  9. navskin

    navskin Regular member

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    hi people i got that driver problem sort i se a diffrent version of linux lol. i decied to go weith 64bit Debian linux and i like it lol. sso ubnutu got the sax ubnutu lol.
     
  10. varnull

    varnull Guest

    That's a good choice.. because KT has it down and under control.
     
  11. ktulu14

    ktulu14 Regular member

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    Sometime under control, sometimes it controls me lol:)

    I have to ask though, did you get the Ecth install or the Lenny install? Lenny may be "testing", but i find it more stable than Etch ever was.

    Pop into irc @ irc.villageirc.net #juliaskitchen, me and jan are normally lurking there most nights if you need live help (and i need it more than most sometimes!!)
     
  12. navskin

    navskin Regular member

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    i went the Ecth but still learning about kind of new to this whole linux thing , but i still have my 32-bit ubnutu install and windows xp install so just playing around with it at the mo. can you give me a few pointer about ubnutu with the beryl side of things. cant seem to get any of the thaems work with the thaem manager. HELP ME LOL.


     

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