64-bit (AMD64) DSL?

Forum: DSL Ideas and Suggestions
Topic: 64-bit (AMD64) DSL?
started by: Kuprin

Posted by Kuprin on July 18 2006,15:13

Well...I'm in a bind. I know how fast DSL is; I've used it on a couple of boxen and am tempted to put it on my current laptop, if I could get an ACX100 wifi card working (I'll make another post for that elsewhere). The thing is, I want a tweaked-out high-speed gaming box, with the DSL mentality. The issue, however? It's 64-bit, and I need full 64-bit support for maximum speed, especially since I'm going to be playing stuff like Vega Strike Online, which is intended to really shine in such an environment.

So...what should I do? I'm not a Linux guru to the point where assembling my own distro for my needs is that much of an option. I am, however, a competent programmer in C, C++, and Java, and can learn just about anything else fairly quicky. I have a fair bit of knowledge about operating systems (took an introductory 3rd-year university course in coding them), and a rough idea how everything goes together. I could probably do something, given time and guidance.

What I really want, though, is a shiny 64-bit version of DSL, with all of the happy speed and without the bloat of current 64-bit distros. Anyone have such a gem?

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on July 19 2006,00:40

I don't see DSL64 coming anytime soon... or even DSL-n64 :P

There was a remaster of Knoppix 3.4 done for 64-bit, but there were a couple problems I heard. The kernel used was 2.4.21 from SuSE. If you want to venture that way.. you could try to use their base files and add the DSL apps on top (or try to compile everything yourself). However, any 64-bit app/library you would want you would need to get/build it yourself somehow. Of course 32-on-64 should still work.

Or you could go distro hunting.

Posted by Kuprin on July 19 2006,12:50

Well, I've gone looking for 64-bit distros a few times, and the only one I'd have much of a chance at tweaking for speed is Gentoo, and only if I did a stage1 or stage2 install on the box, fully customized...which is a bit of a nightmare given how poorly-documented that stuff is!

When a setting is labelled "just don't mess with this unless you know" in the freaking manual, what should I do to them? Guillotine? A few days on the rack? :angry:

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on July 19 2006,16:47

No, you would leave it alone since you don't know what it does :P

I would not know about Gentoo because I haven't used it, but its pretty popular I'd say.