freebsd 7 64 bit installation

[ijk]

have always had 32 bit setups but since i have 8gb of ram needed to use the freebsd7 64 bit set up to take full advantage of it.
The server will be runing apache2 php5 mysql5 postfix webmin.

Could I have some pointers to how the 64 bit will differ from the 32 bit set up in terms of day to day management. I of course download and install 64 bit versions of apache mysql etc via ports and install them but I take it commands , server maintance, security etc would be the same.

thanks

[ninjatux]

I don't think you'll management will differ much. Of course, you'll more RAM, so management will actually be easier on the 64-bit system. The only hitch you might encounter is with flash, but since this is a server, I don't think that matters.

[Weaseal]

I of course download and install 64 bit versions of apache mysql etc via ports and install them but I take it commands , server maintance, security etc would be the same.Well, you're mostly right... except there is no separate 64-bit version of the apache, mysql, etc ports... you just make sure you set CPUTYPE in /etc/make.conf if you want the daemons to be compiled fully 64-bit.

[phoenix]

CPUTYPE has no effect on whether or not ports are compiled as 64-bit or 32-bit. The version of the OS installed does.

Try the following to see:
install 64-bit version of FreeBSD
set CPUTYPE to pentium3
install Apache port
run file on /usr/local/bin/httpd, and notice it's a 64-bit binary
Then try the inverse:
install 32-bit version of FreeBSD
set CPUTYPE to athlon64
install Apache port
run file on /usr/local/bin/httpd and notice it's a 32-bit binary

There are options you can pass to the compiler on a 64-bit system that will cause the compiler to compile the app as a 32-bit app. However, CPUTYPE is not one of those options.

[hunteronline]

It's been awhile but, I remember something about java problems on the 64-bit version.

Eg: Nutch, tomcat, billing software for clients, etc ....

[Weaseal]

I have been running amd64 for about 2 years now. The only thing I've gotten stuck on anytime recently was Wine, which isn't working on FreeBSD/amd64 yet.

[windependence]

So far, no issues here either, about 2 years in production, but all server machines. In fact it has been VERY stable and almost no different from the 32 bit version. I have over 100 day uptime on the web box and the last shutdown was to install more RAM. MUCH less trouble than 64 bit Linux by a long shot.

-Tim

[troberts]

CPUTYPE has no effect on whether or not ports are compiled as 64-bit or 32-bit. The version of the OS installed does
What does the CPUTYPE do then? My thinking is by letting the compiler know what CPU is being used, then it can compile features (i.e. MMX, SSE3, SSE4) the CPU can use and/or not compile features the CPU cannot use .

[robbak]

Yes, that is right. Getting it wrong leads to signal 4 (SIGILL, Illigal innstruction) crashes. It also selects cpu optimized code in SSL, as well as any ports that ask for it.

The options for AMD64 are opteron, athlon64, nocona, prescott and core2 (from /usr/share/examples/etc/make.conf on a AMD64 7.0-STABLE as of July)

[phoenix]

What does the CPUTYPE do then? My thinking is by letting the compiler know what CPU is being used, then it can compile features (i.e. MMX, SSE3, SSE4) the CPU can use and/or not compile features the CPU cannot use .

CPUTYPE sets a bunch of gcc options according to what features the CPU supports. Thing like -sse, -sse2, -mmx, -mcpu, -march, -3dnow and so forth. It's a handy shorthand variable that tells the compiler which CPU features your CPU supports.