Re: FreeBSD 64-bit: Desktop ready?

Ed Hurst wrote:
Steven G. Kargl wrote:

A quick grep through the ports tree shows me a few hundred (maybe 500)
other ports that aren't available on amd64 (and a few that may have
slightly different functionality). Flash seems to be the only port
anybody notices missing for desktop use.


Many of those 500 or so ports have never been tested on AMD64, so
the maintainer leaves the i386 only restriction. Others have these
nice long dependencies, so you need to be careful that the port
picks up 32-bit versus 64-bit libraries.

I've been using amd64 for 2 to 3 years. I can assure you that it makes a good desktop system.


Thanks to you and everyone else for commenting. I am quite dissuaded from proceeding with my test because nVidia refuses to provide a driver for FreeBSD AMD64. While the hardware was mostly donated, I can't just ignore the FX5200 with 256MB VRAM and it's capabilities. On CentOS 4.3 x86-64, it provides 3500+ FPS using the ad hoc benchmark of glxgears.

usr/ports/x11/nvidia driver and nvidia setings
Tho I don't bother - My 64 Mb geforce works OK for what I do.
Mind you that fx5200 256Mb would make Vista happier.
I guess these days the big graphics card is king perhaps one shoudld go for one the new 1Gb sooper cards

(Old) Bill
.

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