Once the system libraries and development environments had been ported to 64bit, the distribution manufacturers made a start on developing further 64bit applications.

All the current 64bit distributions only include 32bit versions of software if a 64bit port is not possible. This is the case for some software such as Adobe Reader. It won’t be a problem for users if not every program is 64bit-capable; 32bit code will still run and experienced Linux users can compile the source code of 32bit opensource programs using 64bit optimisation tools.

All the currently available 64bit Linux distributions are mature products and are easy to install. Table 4 above shows where you can get them. The installation interfaces and the graphical front ends of 32bit and 64bit distributions are identical.

There might have been some initial problems, such as the poor Sata hard disk support in 64bit Suse 9, but 64bit versions cause no more problems than 32bit distributions. The manufacturers’ websites are the first port of call for support; they also offer help if you are not sure whether particular hardware is supported.