Software Compatibility, If on Pi then?
06-06-2020, 07:00 PM
(06-05-2020, 04:43 PM)Arwen Wrote: One of the problems that ARM has, that also early x64 had, was multi-library. Meaning when x64 came out, old x86 software would not run if you booted a 64 bit OS. They solved it by having both 32 bit, (x86), and 64 bit, (x64), libraries and support. So you could run any Linux compatible x86 or x64 program, as long as you had all the dependencies.
At present, there does not seem to be this multi-library configuration for ARM, yet. The original Raspberry Pi's were 32 bit ARM. Newer ones support 64 bit ARM. So it's a toss up if the program(s) you want, will work. The original OS for the Pinebook Pros was 32 bit Debian. Now we are shipped with 64 bit Manjaro.
To be fair, most user type ARM computers are tablets, phones or single board computers. You use what they supported, (32 bit or 64 bit). It's only recently that Linux ARM laptops and some more powerful SBCs have make this desirable. (Chromebooks have an embedded OS, so again multi-library did not mater.)
This ARM multi-library feature is on my wish list.
I hadn't even thought of this. My assumption was that x86 programs would run on x64, but that's all been because of multi-library being present on many non ARM systems. I'm going to check out the last release of 32bit Debian and see if that fares better.