"Tek" <tek### [at] evilsuperbraincom> wrote:
> Okay, google doesn't seem to be able to give me any clear advice on this
> one, so I'll ask you guys:
>
> I just bought an 64-bit AMD Turion based laptop, which irritatingly has
> 32-bit windows installed, so I'm thinking about doing a dual-boot with linux
> and using the 64-bit version of pov. I've already run a 32-bit test and my
> laptop's almost as fast as my desktop machine, so I assume it will be faster
> in 64-bit. Anyway what I want to know is this:
>
> 1/ what version of linux should I get?

Just so you know - "standard" Linux (for i386 (a.k.a. IA-32)) will be 32-bit
Linux, just like your Windows.  For Linux on 64-bit, you'll need a variant,
e.g. a *SPECIAL* Linux for the so-called "IA-64" architechture (which means
64-bit processors).

(That said, you'd also need a "special" Linux if you're using it on a mac.
It's possible to run many linux apps on powerpc. :)

I suggest the 64-bit (IA-64) version of Ubuntu, but it's really a matter of
style.  Do you know anything about linux?  What do you want to get done
(e.g. apart from POV-Ray)?  What do you need in your OS?  Editor? Web
browsing? Multimedia? etc?

Second preference would be Debian; as for the rest, I've heard that the
packaging system can be troublesome, so use whatever works.  Also note that
not all of the Linux distributions have 64-bit versions (it's possible, not
everyone will make one though).  You might want to try one of those odd
Linux-distro-chooser surveys.

Also, a good many things are ... more complex in Linux.  More powerful too,
but more complex anyways.  And if it doesn't work from the get-go, chances
are, setting it up will be a pain or next-to impossible unless you can code
the device driver yourself.

Techincally Linux is just the kernel, all the apps run on it (e.g. X Windows
System, Gnome/KDE/TWM/etc/, your app, pov-ray etc. etc.), although the
generalization is there.  *shrugs*  Usually people don't really care though
about that.

> 2/ how much better is 64-bit pov compared to 32-bit on the same system?
> (i.e. is it worth the effort?)

A lot - but there is no official 64-bit Linux POV-Ray binary, and the native
compiler for Linux isn't as efficient as the official POV-Ray binary's
compiler (although I imagine that the performance gain from optimizing for
64-bit could make up for that).  Also, the Linux version is _command-line_
so you'll need an external editor (e.g. Kate, QTPovEditor, etc.).  Out of
curiousity, does the POV-Ray team's official Linux binaries use the same
compiler series as the Windows ones, or is it just Windows binaries that
use the Intel Compiler?

I should also mention that POV-Ray's linux installer is command-line based
(it's a historical thing; IIRC usually programs are installed from the
command-line as a "super-user" and there's no graphical desktop - usually
done for security reasons) - so you may like Window's graphical installer
better.  My experience with graphical Linux installers has been rather
unsettling, with few exceptions.

If you can manage, I would recommend using 64-bit Windows and official
POV-Ray Binaries.  If you still _want_ to try Linux, investigate the
concept known as creating a "Dual-Boot" system (I believe most decent Linux
distributions are designed for this from the get-go now) and then you can
"have the best of both worlds".

Just as a note, I write this from Linux on a dual-boot system with Windows
XP. :)  32-bit though. *sigh*  I still keep XP for a couple of things -
Linux doesn't do quite everything I need in a OS.

-- Michael C.

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