Running 32 bit binaries on 64 bit systems

[Bill Davidsen]

Although I'm having this on FC11 I had it on FC6, so it's hardly "new" or 
"testing" material. The problem with trying to run 32 bit binaries is that they 
take vast numbers of libraries which have to be located and installed, and 
generally one at a time.

Now for people with lots of time, this is fine, and for people who want to get 
the source, port the application to 64 bit, and build it every few days, that's 
not a problem, glad you have the time and hardware. You are in the minority, you 
don't really understand the problem, so please don't post a ton of suggestions 
that these things take no time... they do.

For the rest of us, is there some tool which would locate all the executables in 
a directory tree, pull out the list of files, resolve the package names, and 
present them? Because the statement that the x86_64 release can run x86_32 
binaries, while technically true, is pretty misleading. It can be done, but 
unless you have some need for 64 bit operation it's vastly less effort to run 32 
bit.

Is there some tool, and can we tell search engines about it?

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot