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How do I know if I need the 32-bit or 64-bit binaries?


This answer is not as simple as you might think. Obviously if you have a 32-bit processor (eg. Pentium IV) then you need the 32-bit binaries.

But some Linux systems run 32-bit binaries on 64-bit hardware. You need to know which kernel you're running. Type

uname -a

If you have a 32-bit kernel you'll get a message like

Linux canolaoil.plants.umanitoba.ca 2.6.32.9-70.fc12.i686.PAE #1 SMP Wed Mar 3 04:57:21 UTC 2010 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

the 'i686' in the name of the kernel tells you this is a 32-bit kernel.

If you had a 64-bit kernel, the message would look something like:

Linux orpheus 2.6.30.10-105.2.23.fc11.x86_64 #1 SMP Thu Feb 11 07:06:34 UTC 2010 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

The 'x86_64' in the kernel name tells you this is a 64-bit kernel.


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