14.04 32 bit, the best way to pass to 64 bit

[Gingalone]

I see 64 bit is recommended for a new installation of Ubuntu 14.04... But I upgraded from 12.04 32 bit through the automatic upgrade process, so my system is still 32 bit:

uname -a
Linux ginux-gnx 3.13.0-43-generic #72-Ubuntu SMP Mon Dec 8 19:35:44 UTC 2014 i686 i686 i686 GNU/LinuxSo, is a "clean install" (i.e. erase everything and reinstall from scratch) the only (or most reasonably) way to pass to the 64 bit kernel? And is that REALLY to be recommended???
Thanks for any suggestions!

[mörgæs]

Yes, a clean install is your only option if you want 64 bit but do you need to change at all? Are there any problems with 32?

[Impavidus]

If you have more than 4GiB of RAM, 64 bit is really recommended. If you have have less, it doesn't matter much. Just before 14.04 was released, I took the opportunity to increase the memory in my laptop. Then I installed 14.04 64 bit, keeping 12.04 32 bit for some months as a backup. But you missed that opportunity.

It's not only about a 64 bit kernel. Every binary executable and library will be replaced by a 64 bit version.

[ajgreeny]

If it were me, and the 32 bit system worked fine, I would stick with it until a month or two into 16.04, the next LTS version and at that point I would take the opportunity to clean install to the 64 bit system.

There really is little advantage to be gained by getting rid of a perfectly good installation just to move from 32 to 64 bit.

PAE kernels now mean that even a 32 bit system can make use of more than 4GB ram, so live with it till next LTS.

[Gingalone]

I have a 8 Gb ram cpu and my system works well (some warnings here and there...) my doubt on 64 bit version of Ubuntu came from the voice "recommended" beside it in the download page of Ubuntu.
I think to have no problems on waiting until the next LTS will be released (but I think that will take a couple of years more than months!) and that will save the annoying work to reinstall software, networks, printers....
Thank you mörgæs, Imavidus and ajgreeny, and Merry Christmas!

[Impavidus]

OK. Using PAE (which is a kind of hack) a 32 bit system can use more than 4GiB of ram, but you are limited to 4 GiB per application. So, depending on whether you run one big or many small applications at the same time this may or may not be a problem.