x86_64 or i586

English Applications
#1

How do I know which package is right for me? The prefixes are a bit confusing. Isnt the i586 architecture derived from x86? Hope this isnt a stupid question

#2

What does the terminal give for

uname -a
#3

I get:

Linux Ambassador 2.6.27.7-9-default #1 SMP 2008-12-04 18:10:04 +0100 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

#4

You are not using _64 bit

So it’s not difficult. Software management shouldn’t be offering you _64 packages.

#5

Actually, I’m not using the Software Manager for the downloads. I don’t have internet access while in SUSE since it didn’t recognize the internal Broadcom wireless card (Dell Precision M6300). I’m having to download drivers in a Windows environ. Again, finding the right package using the online search is additional pain. Is there anyway this could be easier … example: what Launchpad is, to Ubuntu.

#6

The names of the 32 bit RPM files for your machine end with:
i386.rpm
i586.rpm
i686.rpm
(i686.rpm is the preferred one if more than one are available)

64 bit RPM file names end with:
x86_64.rpm

#7

Doesn’t your laptop have a wired connection? You’d only need a wired connection for half an hour and you should be done. Search the forum for ‘broadcom’ and you’ll find what you need.

#8

Doesn’t your laptop have a wired connection? You’d only need a wired connection for half an hour and you should be done. Search the forum for ‘broadcom’ and you’ll find what you need.

It does. Problem is, internet providers & Cybercafes here do not offer that option. Its either wireless or USB (usually connected to a mobile phone which I suppose will require its own set of drivers). Does openSUSE have a comprehensive set of modem drivers preinstalled?

I found the broadcom drivers but there are dependency issues to resolve. Hope the trail is not a long one as I’m aware that a dependency can have its own set of dependencies. The battle continues…

#9

Those darn Broadcom wireless cards!! I have one in my Acer aspire laptop and what I did was download and unpack broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5.tar.bz2 then I ran this in the terminal

# b43-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware /broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5/driver/wl_apsta_mimo.o

of course wl_apsta_mimo.o was from the unpacked broadcom file.

then my card worked perfectly. broadcom has stupid proprietary drivers and does not let linux distros have them :frowning: