64 bit linux on Intel T9600

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 02:39:18PM -0400, D. Hugh Redelmeier wrote:
> I have an Itanium.  I got it recently in a weak moment.  Free, until
> you factor in the hydro bill.  Also noisy (as are most rack mount
> servers).
> 
> I like architectural diversity.  It can be used to help C programmers 
> (like me) discover where they've written unportable code. ("all the 
> world's a VAX" disease). Unfortunately the x86-64 ABI panders to this 
> disease (evidence: sizeof(int) == 4!).
 
How is that a problem?  As long as size(long) == 8 on a 64bit machine,
then you should be happy.  Windows unfortunately does NOT do that.
They have a special long type for storing pointer size things on 64bt
systems.

After all, short int and int just have to be at least 16bit, and long
has to be at least 32bit.  long long has to be at least 64bit if it is
even supported on a system.  Linux seems to have decided to make it:
short is 16bit
int is 32bit
long is equal in size to pointers (so 32 or 64bit depending on cpu)
long long is 64bit

> I blame Debian for retaining the originally-reasonable name AMD64.
> All sensible people agree that the architecture name is x86-64 (or
> x86_64 if "-" causes lexical problems).  Apparently AMD now calls it
> AMD64 and Intel now calls it Intel 64); silly children.
>   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64

underscore is debian's field seperator, and I think - might have special
meaning too.

-- 
Len Sorensen
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