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Alright... I did my googling and after poring over several pages of
forum posts, I still wasn't able to find an answer that satisfied me.<br>
<br>
I've got a server with an "AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+" running
Gentoo. Everything has been compiled as 32-bit (i686). I am in the
process of looking at a new server from Dell with a 64-bit Intel
Processor (currently comparing the Xeon <span id="ComparePanel">E5310
& the Xeon </span><span id="ComparePanel">5130). Questions are as
follows:<br>
</span>
<ol>
<li>If I plan on getting 8GB of RAM, will I need (or really want) to
install 64-bit linux? Are there gains by going 64-bit or is it better
to enable high ram support in the kernel, compile as 32 and call it
done?<br>
</li>
<li>Will I be able to use the same binaries from the old server on
the new one if I install 64-bit? I'd really prefer to copy as much of
the data from the old server to the new one as I can. I am aware that a
64-bit chip can run 32-bit software, but I don't know the details. Do I
need a 64-bit kernel? How about libraries?<br>
</li>
</ol>
I realize these questions are probably very generalized, but I have
basically zero knowledge of the subject so I don't really even know
where to start. If people need more info to be able to answer, I'd be
happy to provide it.<br>
<br>
Essentially, it comes down to this:<br>
<br>
Should I use 8 GB of RAM in a 32-bit machine?<br>
How much work is it to transition a machine from 32-bit to 64?<br>
<br>
I really appreciate all the help TCLUG has been in the past. A good
group of solid techies. Thanks.<br>
<br>
-Matt<br>
<br>
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<td valign="middle"> <a href="http://www.plaudit.com/"><img
alt="" title="" src="cid:part1.07050802.07010800@plauditdesign.com"
0="" border="0" height="102" width="144"></a> </td>
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<td colspan="3"><span id="persons-name"><font
face="Times, Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" size="5">
Matt Dittbenner </font></span></td>
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face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" size="1">EMAIL</font></strong></td>
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<td> <a href="mailto:matt@plaudit.com"><font
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matt@plaudit.com </font></a> </td>
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face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" size="1">WEB</font></strong></td>
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face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" size="1">PHONE</font></strong></td>
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<td> <font face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" size="1">651.646.0696</font>
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face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" size="1">FAX</font></strong></td>
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<td><font face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" size="1">651.917.0600</font>
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<td> <font face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" size="1">2470
University Ave. W.</font> </td>
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