was wondering if anyone has any advice (“I did it before”) re: converting an OpenSUSE 11.1 64-bit machine to a 32-bit one.
My current machine is a 64-bit 11.1 installation simply because I was “just checking it out” and decided to try a 64-bit OS (this was my first machine with a 64-bit capable CPU - more on this later), thinking that I’d nuke the install later on.
Funny thing is… I ended up staying on it. I now prefer OpenSUSE to all other linux distros (I used to be an ubuntu man, myself). Now I’ve got a nicely-set-up 64-bit machine chock full of customizations etc. And I’m running into various little irritations (32-bit stuff more popular/supported). Best of all, because this is a first-gen 64-bit machine, the system chipset can’t support more than 3GB of RAM anyways, so there’s literally no reason for the machine to be running a 64-bit OS.
Does anyone have any ideas re: how to do an in-place “migration” from 64-bit to 32-bit? The default option would be to nuke everything other than /home and install, but then there’s lots of stuff in /etc and who-knows-where (I’ve installed things like KeyTouch, etc.) that I’d really like to keep, if possible… (faint hope, I know).
Can’t be done in a straightforward way. I’m not even sure you would have much of a chance doing it a crooked way. Word length of the kernel has effects far and wide, in the libraries, in the software. Effectively it’s a different arch. Except that… Most 32-bit apps can be got to run under 64-bit by making sure any 32-bit libraries are available. VMWare may be a different can of worms, I have no experience with running that cross-arch.
If you don’t have many customisations installed, just back up your $HOME and reinstall, then restore $HOME.
These days I tend to say, there’s no reason to run 32bit openSUSE on a 64bit capable machine. Apps without a 64bit version run fine, the real trouble makers like flashplayer and skype are available in 64bit versions through the unofficial channels.
> Funny thing is… I ended up staying on it. I now prefer OpenSUSE to
> all other linux distros (I used to be an ubuntu man, myself). Now I’ve
> got a nicely-set-up 64-bit machine chock full of customizations etc.
> And I’m running into various little irritations (for one thing, VMWare
> won’t install right on it). Best of all, because this is a first-gen
> 64-bit machine, the system chipset can’t support more than 3GB of RAM
> anyways, so there’s literally -no reason- for the machine to be running
> a 64-bit OS.
Remember that while running a 64-bits OS you can always run 32-bits apps. So
you can try with VMWare in a 32 bits taste if you are facing some problems
with its 64 bits counterpart.
> Does anyone have any ideas re: how to do an in-place “migration” from
> 64-bit to 32-bit? The default option would be to nuke everything other
> than /home and install, but then there’s lots of stuff in /etc and
> who-knows-where (I’ve installed things like KeyTouch, etc.) that I’d
> really like to keep, if possible… (faint hope, I know).
>
> Anybody?
I think you will have to perform a full reinstall. You can keep your data
and configurations file, though.
so far the main real app i’ve tried that’s given me problems is vmware, and I guess that’s really because I haven’t got the latest version (which has 64 bit support). the tarball for the version I’ve got won’t compile properly (the compilation for the necessary modules always bomb), so, end-result there’s some work I can’t do on the machine.
Ultimately, since I am not using >4GB of RAM, there’s really no reason for me to use a 64-bit OS, and the tradeoff I feel is not worth it (since I’m gonna be sticking with openSUSE on this machine for a long while :-). It’s not just vmware but there are also other problems i’ve run into here and there. 32-bit OSes are the default, “everybody supports and tests on it” choice so, as a matter of “saving trouble”, I want to move there.
so, no way other than a fresh install, eh? hrm, maybe I should just wait for 11.2 then…
> so far the main real app i’ve tried that’s given me problems is vmware,
> and I guess that’s really because I haven’t got the latest version
> (which has 64 bit support). the tarball for the version I’ve got won’t
> compile properly (the compilation for the necessary modules always
> bomb), so, end-result there’s some work I can’t do on the machine.
VM compilations are always a bit “picky”. You’ll need to investigate a bit
the reason of the failure.
> Ultimately, since I am not using >4GB of RAM, there’s really no reason
> for me to use a 64-bit OS, and the tradeoff I feel is not worth it
> (since I’m gonna be sticking with openSUSE on this machine for a long
> while :-).
64-bits arch have another advantages besides allowing “big” ram modules
> It’s not just vmware but there are also other problems i’ve
> run into here and there. 32-bit OSes are the default, “everybody
> supports and tests on it” choice so, as a matter of “saving trouble”, I
> want to move there.
32-bits OSes will disappear some time. Same happened with 16-bits OSes. The
only backdraw I see on 64-bits OS right now is they cannot be installed on
some machines due to processdor limitations, but that’s all.
> so, no way other than a fresh install, eh? hrm, maybe I should just
> wait for 11.2 then…
openSUSE 11.2 is due to be released in October/November, I guess.
make bombs in a place I’d never seen it fail before (I’d not had trouble compiling the same thing on other distros - red hat/centos, ubuntu), and I guess I don’t have the energy to really dig into it when going 32-bit saves me from not just this but the other small problems here and there as well
right, but “bigmem” is basically the critical factor - if you want more than 4GB, then 32-bit is really not practicable. whereas all the other distinctions are more “you can live without it”.
actually i’m not too sure about this. it WILL disappear eventually, but “eventually” can be a very long time away. like how people didn’t expect to have to worry about 2 digit date codes, the unix 2038 problem etc. - stuff that works gets left working since you don’t want to mess with it. by the time 32 bit OSes are obsolete the capacitors on this machine woulda died a long time ago and I wouldn’t be worrying about it either…
anyways, I think I’m gonna live dangerously and try to see if there’s any way to do it like an OS “upgrade”… maybe I’ll dive in for a look and if necessary I’ll hack the various scripts…
>
<snip>
> won’t install right on it). Best of all, because
this is a first-gen
> 64-bit machine, the system chipset can’t support
more than 3GB of RAM
> anyways, so there’s literally -no reason- for the
machine to be
> running a 64-bit OS.
>
<snip>
isn’t this a bios issue? On my Asus board I need to
enable the “memory remapping feature” for more than
3gb to be seen even though I am running a 64bit OS
Are you running the latest available bios?
–
openSuse 11.1 x64bit, KDE4.x Factory, Opera weekly
Word length of the kernel has effects far and wide, in the libraries, in the software. Effectively it’s a different arch. Except that… Most 32-bit apps can be got to run under 64-bit by making sure any 32-bit libraries are available. VMWare may be a different can of worms, I have no experience with running that cross-arch.