I'm installing Kubuntu soon. I have an Athlon 64. Is it worth it to install the 64bit version? Here are my worries: Will it have all the software and libraries compiled like the 32bit version? Should I worry about compatibility issues when compiling from source? Will it have any issues dual-booting with 32bit windows install? Will it be any faster? [Edited by - Boder on December 28, 2005 12:07:16 PM]

I'm downloading the 32bit version. I'm going to play it safe.

I have kubuntu x64 installed. It's fun, but there's too many app incompatibilities, especially in desktop functionality areas like media playing. I have a linux32 compatibility layer installed to deal with the worst of that, but it's sort of a PITA. For now, I'd suggest sticking to 32-bit unless there's something specific you need 64-bit for.

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Will it have all the software and libraries compiled like the 32bit version?

Sort of. Technically, yes. If you don't care about proprietary apps/libs, all of the software is probably compiled to run on an amd64. If you want to use something like flash, which doesn't have a 64-bit binary, you have to set up a 32 bit chroot, which isn't terribly complicated, although it is a real pain if you're lazy.

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Should I worry about compatibility issues when compiling from source?

Most of the time, if you're compiling from source, you don't have to worry about compatibility.

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Will it have any issues dual-booting with 32bit windows install?

No.

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Will it be any faster?

Probably slightly, although ubuntu isn't known for its speed in the first place. I haven't noticed any difference, even when playing games, between 32-bit slack and 64-bit ubuntu.

All in all, I'd recommend just using the 32-bit version, unless you have a specific reason not to. The speed gain is probably negligible, and there are some compatibility problems with things like flash and wine.

Is there a 64 bit version of gentoo? If so that should fix the comp problems.