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Thread: How does this happen?

  1. #1
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    How does this happen?

    On various forums I've seen the occasional thread about people with 32 bit installations to modern hardware. My question is how does this happen? 64 bit has been the standard for 10, 15, maybe 20 years now? Who would actually intentionally do this? Is there some kind of good reason? Irrelevant now I know as it's being deprecated, I just can't figure why anyone would use 32 bit these days on new machines...

  2. #2
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    Re: How does this happen?

    There are people who make it a hobby of running Linux on 20 year old machines.

  3. #3
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    Re: How does this happen?

    A chromebook that has been wiped of ChromeOS for some Ubuntu flavor, but only has 2GB of RAM is one example.
    A raspberry pi v3 or older is another - those ARM CPUs are all 32-bit.

    I had a 64-CPU on my desk at work in 1994. When they became available for home prices, I was a very late adopter, because I knew most of it was hype and only really, really, really bloated software would need more than 4G for code and 16G for RAM access. That's the situation today, still. But don't worry, toolkits and programmers are working very hard to make bloated code for us all!

    And some games only run in 32-bit systems.

  4. #4
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    Re: How does this happen?

    A few reasons, one it is what they always used, maybe they have a low ram machine and don't think 64 is needed or maybe they were given a machine with 32 bit OS and don't know.

  5. #5
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    Re: How does this happen?

    I'm still using desktops from 2009 with dual core processors and integrated graphics adapters and only 4.0GB DDR2 memory and don't want to spend the money for DDR2 memory so a 32 bit OS isn't a bad choice even though all of my desktops will run 64 bit OS.

    Some of us are just cheapskates and I'm one of them and besides when all I do is basically search the internet why do I need to buy a newer computer.

    FWIW I do run 64 bit Linux distros however I would still run a 32 bit distro and find no reason not to however I could be wrong about that.
    Last edited by poorguy; August 4th, 2020 at 02:45 PM.
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  6. #6
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    Re: How does this happen?

    we had 32bit install on 2GB ram machine. the machine was upgraded to that in 2011 or 2012. but used old CPU that could handle 64 bit just the board couldn't handle more ram. the issue was also that until few years ago many apps had 32 bit version only. some old apps still do. but in general on modern hardware there is no need for 32 bit OS.
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  7. #7
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    Re: How does this happen?

    I thought the original question was for why someone with recently new hardware - say under 2 yrs old "modern hardware" - might have a 32-bit OS installed?
    But I suppose it depends on how different people define "modern hardware", doesn't it?

    Many of my "servers" have no need for 64-bits - heck, most of them. More I think about it, none of them need 64-bits.

  8. #8
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    Re: How does this happen?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tadaen_Sylvermane View Post
    Who would actually intentionally do this?
    <raises hand> Although, only theoretically . . . I haven't yet. But . . . . it comes with a dark admission.

    I am not a gamer per se with one exception. The only game I ever played, and continue to play, is . . . Duke Nukem 3D. Think what you want, I love this game, the cheesy FPS graphics, sexist themes, creepy aliens, all of it. The best part is the BUILD program that came with it, the ability to create your own maps has allowed thousands of DN3D fans to create custom maps, some of them quite ingenious. I have purchased a few collections off eBay for pennies on the dollar and still haven't played them all.

    So it is was with great sadness when Windows 95 came about, the architecture for DN3D was no longer supported and it died. Just died, with no hope of further development. There was a brief comeback with DN3D Forever through Steam but it just wasn't the same.

    When I converted to Linux I was elated to find the eduke32 port for Linux, which plays GREAT on Ubuntu, I made the build and DN3D is back. I play two or three times a week as a distraction from the insanity we call life nowadays.

    The point of my reply: I have always wanted to resurrect a couple old 32 bit machines just for this purpose. One of the things the eduke32 port does not do is support multiplayer Dukematch, in which you play either against each other or in co-op mode. We used to have so much fun with it. A couple old computers and network cards and you can run the native DN3D in multiplayer mode.

    The reasons may not be as be trivial for each user, but there are some reasons. For example believe it or not, I still know of a few users around the world using a PS II running Windows 3.1. What they have does what they need and never needed anything else.

  9. #9
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    Re: How does this happen?

    Quote Originally Posted by sdsurfer View Post
    The reasons may not be as be trivial for each user, but there are some reasons. For example believe it or not, I still know of a few users around the world using a PS II running Windows 3.1. What they have does what they need and never needed anything else.
    Just run the older OS inside a virtual machine. No need for the old hardware anymore, not really. DOSBOX is pretty good too.

  10. #10
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    Re: How does this happen?

    Quote Originally Posted by TheFu View Post
    Many of my "servers" have no need for 64-bits - heck, most of them. More I think about it, none of them need 64-bits.
    Because essentially everyone is using 64-bit hardware, the 32-bit codebases aren't really maintained. The Spectre and Meltdown mitigations, for example, weren't ported to the 32-bit code.
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