Software Development in the UNIX Environment
32 vs 64 Bit Programs
When to use 64 Bit programs
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Need to use a library that has only a 64 bit version
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Need to use more than 4 gigabytes of virtual address
space
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Needs full 64 bit registers to do efficient 64-bit
arithmetic
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Uses files larger than 2 gigabytes
Major Differences Between 32 and 64 Programs
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32-bit: longs and pointers are 32 bits
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64-bit: longs and pointers are 64 bits
Types of Applications that Can Benefit from 64 bit
Environment with Larger Primary Memory
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programs that access large data bases
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large CAD/CAE models and simulations
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larger scientific computing problems
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web caches can hold more in memory, reducing latency
In a 64-bit environment
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process can have up to 64-bits of virtual address -
18 exabytes
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compilers have options for using 32 and 64 bit
programs