x86-64?

**The Rockologist** · 07-08-2006, 12:15 AM

I've been using Knoppix for quite some time now, but really only on my older, expendable machines with nothing above a Pentium III, or an Athlon XP 1400+ in my current machine. I've bought some hardware for a new machine I plan to build, but before I buy a motherboard or processor I was curious about one thing: is Knoppix and Debian Linux compatible with x86-64 architecture? Reason being was because I wanted to give an Athlon 64 X2 a shot this time, but before I spend $400 or more on a processor alone, I'd just like to know if Knoppix will run on 64-bit technology. Everything I've used until now is x86, so 64-bit CPUs are entirely new to me.

**Harry Kuhman** · 07-08-2006, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by The Rockologist

...but before I buy a motherboard or processor I was curious about one thing: is Knoppix and Debian Linux compatible with x86-64 architecture? ....I'd just like to know if Knoppix will run on 64-bit technology. ....

Knoppix is compatable with 64 bit arciture and the kernel has dual CPU and hyperthreading support. However, Knoppix uses the i386 Debian code, it is not optimized for 64 bit systems. And, of course, this is no promise that Knoppix will have all of the driver support for the newest motherboards (fancy 10/100/100 NICS, for example may not yet be supported).

Debian does have a 64 bit version that is optomized for 64 bit CPU and should run better on them than the I386 32 bit version, this is called the ia64 version and you should look for that version when you download or net-install Debian, although the I386 version will run on a 64 bit system. There are, of course, other versions of Debian as well, including versions for the PowerPC, ARM processors, Sparc, Alpha and more, but there is currently only an i386 version of Knoppix.

**UnderScore** · 07-08-2006, 01:15 AM

Just a correction.
ia64 is NOT the 64 bit port of Debian for x86-64 Opteron/Athlon and Intel EMT64 chips. ia64 is the name for Debian compiled for Intel Itanium chips. AMD64 is the name of the Debian port to x86-86 for Opteron/Athlon and Intel EMT64 chips.

**Harry Kuhman** · 07-08-2006, 01:22 AM

Thanks for the correction Underscore. I thought that name looked a little strange, but I wrote it down after taking a quick look at the Debian CD distro list, and I couldn't spot the AMD64 name that I expected there. Maybe just need to clean my reading glasses.