Intel stopped to produce 32 bit CPU for over 17 years (but for very specific embedded systems up to 2015) and started its 64 bit CPU production in 2004 (that is 14 years ago).
AMD started its first 64 production in 2003 that is one year before.
Since the Haiku development team is very small and obviously has little money to pay new developers, can any one explain to me what is the interest (if any) to develop and maintain these two architectures (I’ve worked with developers obliged to maintain both 16 and 32 bit codes then to enhance it to 64 bit and I know all the mess this includes) ?
Even major Linux distribution vendors now stop their developments and support for the ancient 32 bit architecture.
So, would it not be profitable for the Hailu developers to do so and concentrate only on the 64 bit code?
To get rid of 32 bit Haiku we need one patch to be applied: https://review.haiku-os.org/c/haiku/+/427
With this one in place we can get 32bit apps running on x86_64 and finally forget about 32bit support.
Of course 32bit support will be optional so only those who really need to run some old closed source BeOS app (Sync Modular, GoBe Productive, WonderBrush and a handful of otheres) can install compat layer.
Hello newbe, welcome to the community. The 32bit support is part of the main goal of Haiku, because they want to create a compatible layer to BeOS (32bit only).
We have now a 64bit version in development.
Please fist read more about the project and does not only come to the forum to post, i want this and that. We need people who want to help development, writing articles, helping users…
IMHO there are plenty of old 32 bit machines that work fine with haiku. The main machine I use with haiku is 32 bit.
Yes it was a lot of work to add 64 bit support to haiku, but at this point continuing to support 32 bit requires very little effort. I can’t see that there’s a compelling reason to drop support while gcc still supports it.
I love the year argument. What does that even mean?
Hey, in 2018 people still have 32-bit only computers, that are running perfectly fine. In fact, in 2018 some companies still produce 8086 chips. But they should stop because IT’S 2018!
Apparently you don’t know how things look now. 16-bit to 32-bit was much more drastic jump than 32-bit to 64, and there were entire codebases written with certain assumptions. Today pitfalls are fairly well known, and besides all that code is already written and works. Why throw it away? I’m not aware of any maintenance burden (besides the compat layer korli is working on) since you account for issues when writing new code. IMO this whole argument is bogus.
Then don’t.
BTW I find it ironic how all the big companies say they’re green, yet they’re pushing people to throw away their perfectly working hardware, because they can’t be bothered to optimize their software or because they need hardware sales to keep going.
There is a 64Bit Version of Haiku. So use it. I do. But some older original be-Software will not run. So… i dont see your problem…
You are very welcome to program better software for Haiku!
I came to Haiku after reading a lot of papers about it and spent a lot of time on your forum reading a bunch of posts before registering, downloading Haiku and installing it.
Further, I have no claim to ask anything about its development.
I just write from time to time for computer specialized journals and the only help I can bring is to do tests and translation into French.
Now, the opinions I’m exposing only relate to me in my past as a software publisher having had some worldwide notable successes (the last product I designed early in the 90ies named Remote Services Management was sold and installed over 120 millions units worldwide on DOS, OS/2 and Windows systems including some OEM releases sold to small Cies like Compuware or ICL and even a bundle directly with IBM OS/2 Warp).
Then, I’m for sure not asking anything to Haiku development team but only expressing a personal opinion with regard to a possible Haiku market share while reducing the development effort.
Been there, done that.
Isn’t Linux a perfect example of what may not be done to widely access the desktop market ?
Oops! This is not troll but a nice chat between Gentlemen (hope you know this world).
Sorry but I don’t have Windows but on an occasional VM for a very specific software not available on any other system. Then, I mainly use OS/X and Linux.
Listen Samson, I came here to see what Haiku was today at the request of an editor of a French newspaper that had announced the release, after 6 years of waiting, beta rc1.
I found on this forum a very nice welcome, even if I asked questions a little off topic.
So do not waste it and have me write soon that Haiku is a late but promising development OS with a very small team which explains the long delays of updates, but some members of its support forum are poorly educated geeks (not to be rude).
I assume so. I don’t know. I use the 64-bit version of Haiku. I can say, though, that if I could find my old CD with Gobe Productive, I would certainly give it a try. I wish I could find it for sale today.
Unlikely. The developers and/or companies are long gone. And there are rights issues that are probably lost in the murk of time.
Maybe. Maybe not. As several people have pointed out, Haiku also has a 64-bit version. People are still working on it. Maybe it gains traction, but if it doesn’t there will still be people around who appreciate it. It’s the reason why we have FreeDOS, DOSBox, ArcaOS (OS/2, still being developed as far as I know), AmigaOS, ReactOS, a multitude of other indi operating systems, and countless emulators.
