i386 RPMs in x86_64 repos?

[James Wilkinson]

Neil Bird wrote:

>   A friend updated his box FC4 to FC6 recently, and it didn't go too
> well.  One of the things I've noticed is that he has >300
> 'duplicate' RPM entries, with both i386 & x86_64 versions apparently
> installed on top of each other.
>
> Looking at the release/updates repos., there are lots of i386 &
> x86_64 RPMs alongside each other there.
>
> Is that right?

Briefly, yes -- the x86-64 architecture is designed so that one operating
system can handle both 32 bit and 64 bit programs at the same time.
Unfortunately, the *programs* themselves can't do this -- a 32 bit
program needs to have 32 bit libraries around, and a 64 bit program needs
to have 64 bit libraries around.

So if Fedora is to be able to run both 32 bit and 64 bit programs, it
needs to have both sets of libraries around. The Fedora approach is to
modify RPM so 64 bit and 32 bit versions of the same libraries can be
installed at the same time. The libraries go into */lib64 or */lib
(depending on whether they're 64 bit or 32 bit), RPM will install a 64
bit version of an end-user program over the 32 bit version, and the rest
of the files (man pages, pictures, sound effects, configuration files,
etc.) should be identical for both packages.

It's weird, but it works...

James.

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