[gentoo-user] Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[gentoo-user] Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Philip Webb]

I've just done a diff on the 'x86' & 'amd64' versions of the Handbook.
The latter warns against using ReiserFS or Lilo on a 64-bit system,
both of which are my longstanding preferences.
I plan to install the 64-bit version of Gentoo on my new box.
Does anyone have experience or advice to offer in this area ?

(Thanks to those who commented re quad-cores: I plan to get a Core 2 Duo)

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Re: [gentoo-user] Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Tue, 2 Oct 2007 11:13:19 -0400, Philip Webb wrote:

> I've just done a diff on the 'x86' & 'amd64' versions of the Handbook.
> The latter warns against using ReiserFS or Lilo on a 64-bit system,
> both of which are my longstanding preferences.
> I plan to install the 64-bit version of Gentoo on my new box.
> Does anyone have experience or advice to offer in this area ?
> 
> (Thanks to those who commented re quad-cores: I plan to get a Core 2
> Duo)

I'm running ReiserFS on a Core2Duo system, and used it for three+ years
on an Athlon64 box before that, with no problems. I've not tried LiLo on
it, but only because I much prefer GRUB.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

All generalizations are false.

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[gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Francesco Talamona]

On Tuesday 02 October 2007, Philip Webb wrote:
> I've just done a diff on the 'x86' & 'amd64' versions of the
> Handbook. The latter warns against using ReiserFS or Lilo on a 64-bit
> system, both of which are my longstanding preferences.
> I plan to install the 64-bit version of Gentoo on my new box.
> Does anyone have experience or advice to offer in this area ?
>
> (Thanks to those who commented re quad-cores: I plan to get a Core 2
> Duo)
>

I never liked grub, so I kept LILO when I switched to 64 bit. It works 
like a charm.

I also used ReiserFS with mild satisfaction.

IIRC you have to use special mount option to use ReiserFS for /boot 
partition.

Ciao
	Francesco

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Neil Walker]

Francesco Talamona wrote:
> IIRC you have to use special mount option to use ReiserFS for /boot 
> partition.
>   

Using reiserfs on a /boot partition is just plain silly. ;) Furthermore, 
in this day and age, why would you even want a /boot partition? FWIW, 
using reiserfs on my 64bit systems (Opteron, Athlon64, Pentium D, Athlon 
X2, Core2  Duo) works fine without any issues or hoops to jump through 
with  /boot  on the  / partition.


Be lucky,

Neil


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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Alan McKinnon]

On Tuesday 02 October 2007, Neil Walker wrote:
> Using reiserfs on a /boot partition is just plain silly. ;)
> Furthermore, in this day and age, why would you even want a /boot
> partition?

/boot can't be on LVM. And these days you do want LVM.
Not everyone is happy leaving /boot mounted all the time.
Dual boot scenarios - it's much easier with a separate /boot.

The 1024-cylinder limit hasn't been an issue for over 10 years now, but 
it was never the only reason for a separate /boot.

alan

-- 
Optimists say the glass is half full,
Pessimists say the glass is half empty,
Developers say wtf is the glass twice as big as it needs to be?

Alan McKinnon
alan at linuxholdings dot co dot za
+27 82, double three seven, one nine three five
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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Hex Star]

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Don't install 64bit linux, there are unresolved issues with 64bit linux

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Canek Peláez Valdés]

On 10/2/07, Hex Star <hexstar@gmail.com> wrote:
> Don't install 64bit linux, there are unresolved issues with 64bit linux

I've been using 64 bit linux for almost two years: I don't have any
single problem, and I only use two 32 bit binary programs: Firefox
(for Flash) and MPlayer (for the win32codecs).

Everything else is native 64 bit and works like a charm: even Windows
games in wine (compiled in native 64 bits).
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Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM
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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Albert Hopkins]

On Tue, 2007-10-02 at 21:23 -0500, Canek Peláez Valdés wrote:
> I've been using 64 bit linux for almost two years: I don't have any
> single problem, and I only use two 32 bit binary programs: Firefox
> (for Flash) and MPlayer (for the win32codecs).
> 
> Everything else is native 64 bit and works like a charm: even Windows
> games in wine (compiled in native 64 bits).

I think people should be more specific when they say "64 bit linux".
Linux has run on 64-bit architectures for a while now.  Gentoo supports
Alpha, x64, PA-RISC, IA64, PPC64, and SPARC64.  Linux has been running
on 64-bit platforms for over a decade, so I'd bet that "64 bit Linux" is
fairly stable.

I've also used Linux on 64-bit systems and the only technical issues
I've seen are with closed-source and/or x86-only software. OTOH the x86
architecture is still dominant and it still likely to have better
support from developers and community.

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Albert W. Hopkins

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Florian Philipp]

Canek Peláez Valdés schrieb:
> On 10/2/07, Hex Star <hexstar@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Don't install 64bit linux, there are unresolved issues with 64bit linux
> 
> I've been using 64 bit linux for almost two years: I don't have any
> single problem, and I only use two 32 bit binary programs: Firefox
> (for Flash) and MPlayer (for the win32codecs).
> 
> Everything else is native 64 bit and works like a charm: even Windows
> games in wine (compiled in native 64 bits).

With nspluginwrapper you can use 32bit Flash with a 64bit Firefox. 
Here's an Howto:
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_AMD_64#nspluginwrapper
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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Dan Farrell]

On Tue, 2 Oct 2007 21:23:45 -0500
"Canek Peláez Valdés" <caneko@gmail.com> wrote:

> I've been using 64 bit linux for almost two years: I don't have any
> single problem, and I only use two 32 bit binary programs: Firefox
> (for Flash) and MPlayer (for the win32codecs).

Yeah.  Me too.  And as far as this:
>> Don't install 64bit linux, there are unresolved issues with 64bit
>> linux  

If you haven't noticed, my friends, there are unresolved issues with all
versions of linux .. just like there are with every sizable piece of
code on the planet.  

That having been said, 

>>OTOH the x86
>>architecture is still dominant and it still likely to have better
>>support from developers and community.

Mr. Hopkins is absolutely right.  There are always small hiccoughs,
mostly in the area of new package testing and such -- it's always a
little behind.  

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Neil Bothwick]

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Hello Hex Star,

> Don't install 64bit linux, there are unresolved issues with 64bit linux

There is nothing like informed advice, and this is nothing like informed
advice.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

Success is making it to the top of the food chain!

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Philip Webb]

071002 Alan McKinnon wrote:
> On Tuesday 02 October 2007, Neil Walker wrote:
>> Using reiserfs on a  /boot  partition is just plain silly. ;)

Yes indeed.  You use 'ext2'.

>> why would you even want a  /boot  partition?

You keep it unmounted & why not keep it separate anyway ?

>  /boot  can't be on LVM & these days you do want LVM.

With  1  HDD of  320 GB  (my plan), what are the advantages of LVM ?
There is at least a small amount of learning & fuss setting up LVM,
whereas without it you can simply rely on good old Fdisk.

BTW does anyone care to make the case for Grub ?  Lilo is so easy.
(I don't mean to start a silly dispute, just to learn from others)

Otherwise, thanks for all the reassurance re Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits.

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========================,,============================================
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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Neil Bothwick]

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Hello Philip Webb,

> BTW does anyone care to make the case for Grub ?  Lilo is so easy.
> (I don't mean to start a silly dispute, just to learn from others)

Both work, use whichever you are most comfortable with. Just be be
grateful you aren't limited to yaboot, which is horrible compared with
LiLo and GRUB and the only option for PPC users.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

I am Superconductor Borg, assimilation resistance is futile.

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Dan Farrell]

On Tue, 2 Oct 2007 22:50:25 -0400
Philip Webb <purslow@sympatico.ca> wrote:

> BTW does anyone care to make the case for Grub ?  Lilo is so easy.
> (I don't mean to start a silly dispute, just to learn from others)

There's a few great great things about grub, IMHO.

My favorite is that you don't have to change the boot record at all to
chage the grub configuration.

I think the setup of grub makes a lot more sense.  It's really easy to
add entries and change the config and whatnot. 

another great thing about grub is that it has a limited command mode
that you can enter at boot time.  If your grub config contains a typo
or error, you can still boot the computer without reaching for a CD.  

The only downside that I know of is that it's a little heavier weight
than Lilo, since it effectively provides its own preboot execution
environment with filesystem support and whatnot.  

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Hans-Werner Hilse]

Hi,

On Wed, 3 Oct 2007 12:42:58 -0500 Dan Farrell <dan@spore.ath.cx> wrote:

> another great thing about grub is that it has a limited command mode
> that you can enter at boot time.  If your grub config contains a typo
> or error, you can still boot the computer without reaching for a CD.  

And, OTOH, it can install itself to other devices (but only the stage1,
stage 1.5 and/or stage 2 have to be already present on the target
device). So you can take a grub-enabled CD, boot it and restore your
system's hosed boot loader (say you just installed Windows or similar)
from the grub prompt.

Also, I prefer grub's "savedefault" features to the "-R" switch for
lilo (e.g. test boots w/ new kernels -- don't forget the "panic=..."
kernel parameter then!).

-hwh
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[gentoo-user] Re: Lilo & ReiserFS on 64 bits

[Francesco Talamona]

On Tuesday 02 October 2007, Neil Walker wrote:
> Francesco Talamona wrote:
> > IIRC you have to use special mount option to use ReiserFS for /boot
> > partition.
>
> Using reiserfs on a /boot partition is just plain silly. ;)
> Furthermore, in this day and age, why would you even want a /boot
> partition? FWIW, using reiserfs on my 64bit systems (Opteron,
> Athlon64, Pentium D, Athlon X2, Core2  Duo) works fine without any
> issues or hoops to jump through with  /boot  on the  / partition.
>

Note: I'm not advertising ReiserFS for /boot :-)

I think that any choice is good, given that you know what are doing; see 
the other thread (Backups), where is shown as xfs can be a good choice 
for /boot.

That said I always used ext2 for /boot (or not kept it on a separate 
partition).

Ciao
	Francesco 

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