[SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

silvik · 2010-08-19 10:39:02

I have a nice working i686 system and I don't feel like reinstalling to x86_64 for PAE and a few video/audio encoders.
It should be possible to use a x86_64 kernel and keep the rest 32bit I guess... like a mixed system. How can I do this and keep pacman happy?
Also, how can I install a few 64bit programs and their deps (handbrake, mencoder).
Thanks.

Last edited by silvik (2010-08-22 14:29:54)

.:B:. · 2010-08-19 10:48:14

You can use a 64 bit kernel with 32 bit userland, but you cannot use 64 bit apps without 64 bit glibc, etc. So installing apps 'and just a few dependencies' is out of the picture.

Allan · 2010-08-19 10:52:10

With a 64bit kernel you can make an x86_64 chroot for the stuff you want as x86_64.

silvik · 2010-08-19 11:52:27

thanks for helping.
ok, so how do I install a 64bit kernel? pacman -S kernel26 would install 32bit. should I download the package manually and pacman -U it? Will this work?

EDIT: Nope, doesn't work:
[root@morgana ~]# pacman -U ~silvik/Desktop/kernel26-2.6.35.2-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
error: failed to prepare transaction (package architecture is not valid)
:: package kernel26-2.6.35.2-1-x86_64 does not have a valid architecture

Last edited by silvik (2010-08-19 12:01:55)

Inxsible · 2010-08-19 13:47:02

you cannot install a kernel with a different architecture onto your main system like that. You need to create a chroot first and then install Arch in there. This could be a different architecture than your main system.

Head to to wiki for more information on chroot.

Allan · 2010-08-19 14:02:33

Umm.... you can install an x86_64 kernel onto your i686 system. I happen to be typing from such a system. Just remember that your modules also need to be the x86_64 versions too.

You have the remove the Architecture line in pacman.conf or preferably add "--arch x86_64" to the pacman line.

Inxsible · 2010-08-19 14:11:10

I stand corrected. But I fail to see what advantage it would bring to have a 64 bit kernel but a 32bit system as you mentioned you would have to create a separate chroot for the 64bit apps. wouldn't it be easier to just have a completely separate chroot for a different architecture?

ngoonee · 2010-08-19 16:33:57

You can't have a 64-bit chroot on a 32-bit system (32-bit on 64 is of course possible). 32-bit userland is advantageous for some apps though, and means you don't need lib32 at all.

Allan has some such apps, and he needs the 64-bit chroot cos of course he's a dev and compiles for 64-bit as well.

silvik · 2010-08-19 21:20:57

thanks to all of you. I tried Allan's idea - the --arch switch, but pacman still doesn't want to install a x64 kernel, even with --force. Did you compiled and installed outside pacman since you're using such a system?

(I don't have any Architecture line in rc.conf?! Last time I edited that file some time ago it wasn't any)

[root@morgana ~]# pacman -S --force --arch x86_64 kernel26
error: failed to prepare transaction (package architecture is not valid)
:: package kernel26-2.6.35.2-1-i686 does not have a valid architecture

what to do next?

LATER EDIT:
looks like pacman -U --arch x86_64 kernel26-2.6.35.2-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz works fine. Great! Ihope after reboot everything will be fine

Last edited by silvik (2010-08-19 21:23:47)

silvik · 2010-08-19 23:45:46

ok, I installed official x86_64 kernel with my old i686 userspace and it works
thanks Allan, you were right with --arch flag, I was not paying enough attention...

next problem is that I cannont compile any kernel modules. I tried nvidia from aur (I have an old 96xx card, but it worked before this kernel trick), fails. also vboxdrv. probably the compiler gets confused somewhere in all this architecture mess. I guess that I'll have similar surprises when I'll try to compile userspace programs from aur, too.

any ideas?

Allan · 2010-08-19 23:50:28

kernel modules will need to be done in an x86_64 chroot as you are compiling for x86_64... vbox may be an issue there... For userspace programs just put "linux32" in front of makepkg.

silvik · 2010-08-20 17:20:13

right, thank a lot Allan.
Solved.

ngoonee · 2010-08-21 02:29:35

@silvik, to mark solved please edit your first post and change the title of the thread.

silvik · 2010-08-22 14:32:17

I tried to do that but no rename was available... I had no idea that you have to edit first post Sorry
I guess now this is officially solved.

schuay · 2010-09-06 17:24:52

silvik wrote:

right, thank a lot Allan.
Solved.

So how did you solve the virtualbox modules issue?

Arch Linux

#1 2010-08-19 10:39:02

[SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#2 2010-08-19 10:48:14

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#3 2010-08-19 10:52:10

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#4 2010-08-19 11:52:27

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#5 2010-08-19 13:47:02

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#6 2010-08-19 14:02:33

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#7 2010-08-19 14:11:10

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#8 2010-08-19 16:33:57

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#9 2010-08-19 21:20:57

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#10 2010-08-19 23:45:46

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#11 2010-08-19 23:50:28

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#12 2010-08-20 17:20:13

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#13 2010-08-21 02:29:35

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#14 2010-08-22 14:32:17

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

#15 2010-09-06 17:24:52

Re: [SOLVED] i686 system with x86_64 kernel

Board footer