Arch Linux

bigboss

Member

Registered: 2013-10-09

Posts: 34

[solved]will installing multilib package change my 64bit installation?

maybe the question is a bit dump, but currently I am running an 64bit version of arch. For running steam I need the multilib. Will installing that package make other applications run in 32bit mode and making slower the system or the multilib will only work for compatibility with just the applications that are not 64 bit.

Last edited by bigboss (2013-11-09 16:28:26)

loafer

Member

From: the pub

Registered: 2009-04-14

Posts: 1,772

Re: [solved]will installing multilib package change my 64bit installation?

It will not interfere with your existing 64 bit system.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/multilib

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bigboss

Member

Registered: 2013-10-09

Posts: 34

Re: [solved]will installing multilib package change my 64bit installation?

Yea I read the wiki before posting but this line troubled me : To revert to a pure 64-bit system...

Last edited by bigboss (2013-11-08 22:45:03)

ANOKNUSA

Member

Registered: 2010-10-22

Posts: 2,141

Re: [solved]will installing multilib package change my 64bit installation?

You didn't stop reading at the word "system," did you? Those are just instructions on uninstalling any 32-bit packages you chose to install. You might want to read up a bit on the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit binaries and architectures; the two can't effect each other.  The reason Steam is in [multilib] is that the client is a 32-bit application, and nearly all PC games are developed for 32-bit architecture, because the majority of PCs in the world are running 32-bit installations of Windows.  If you want to play any game developed by a for-profit enterprise (and some that aren't, e.g. Dwarf Fortress), you'll almost certainly need [multilib] enabled.

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tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: [solved]will installing multilib package change my 64bit installation?

If you read that section thoroughly, and make sure you understand it, you will no longer be troubled.

pacman installs all the packages on your system, including those from the multilib repo if you so choose. Conversely, pacman is perfectly capable of removing anything that it installs, again including multilib packages.

That paragraph in the wiki page simply goes into a bit more (unnecessary IMO) detail than I just did.

bigboss

Member

Registered: 2013-10-09

Posts: 34

Re: [solved]will installing multilib package change my 64bit installation?

thx for the answers