I have been using the 64 bit version of kubuntu since dapper, and have always refrained from installing proprietary 32 bit applications such as skype, Adobe reader and even the Amazon mp3 downloader. Flash has always been an issue too. Today though, I was forced to get adobe reader working (it has nice booklet printing options that I can not find in any other program). After a bit of googling I can across getlibs a simple application to download required 32 bit libraries for 32 bit binaries. You simply install the 32 bit deb with –force-architecture and then run “sudo getlibs executable.” Then try running the program. If it still fails, you may may have to run getlibs against the executable again (probably because the program depends on a library later in the program). So far I have installed Adobe reader, firefox-2 i386 for flash and skype. All three work flawlessly. Getlibs has alot more options, such as the ability to install compatibility libraries by library name.
I think it would awesome integrated into GDebi, of course with a educational warning about looking for a 64-bit version first. This would make it far easier for users to transition to future of 64-bit linux.
May 28, 2008 at 8:31 pm
“it has nice booklet printing options that I can not find in any other program” KPDF or any other program that uses default KDE print dialog can do it easy
howto:
open KPDF document, file->print, click on properties near printer, goto the last tab named “filters” , click on “add filter” icon, select “multiple pages per sheet filter” from drop down menu, click ok, select the filter, click “configure filter” icon, and choose whatever pages per sheet, click ok, click ok, and print
so you dont have to use adobe for multiple pages
ALSO by filter you can print by duplex, if your printer dirver doesn’t support it
May 28, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Are you using 8.04? If so i am surprised you have to do much more than just install the packages. I know for a fact that 32 bit flash and adobe reader work/installed without any issue and without requiring any other packages.
May 28, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Flash has not been an issue for me for a while. I’ve been using x86_64 firefox 2 & 3(b5) with flash for a while now, don’t see why you need i386 for it. Infact it’s even working under konqueror 3 (and 4 with the trunk build I got). I believe theres an app called nspluginwrapper that lets you use 32 bit nsplugins, such as flash, with 64 bit apps. I also did a hack to konqueror x64 in kde3 for edgy to get flash working under that. Screenshot of firefox x64 with flash. http://ivy.shu.ac.uk/~asburton/snapshot1.png
As for stuff like skype getlibs does look like a nice and simple solution. However for stuff like skype a lot of people have already solved this with the package manager, like medibuntu for skype (and I think wine as well, does that build for x64 properly yet or is it 32bit app in 64bit packages? like ia32-libs), saving us from using another application at all. getlibs seems good for a quick solution, but I think I would prefer to use a package someones made for amd64 with the 32bit apps rather than forcing a loads of 32bit apps on my system (and possibly mixing all the stuff together), good alternative when this isn’t the case though.
Although generally not an issue for me since flash is the only 32bit app I use I think.
May 28, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Do we have a volunteer for the job then?
May 28, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Wine is a 32-bit binary in a 64-bit package.
Not many things require getlibs. The statically linked skype doesn’t require getlibs anymore. Cairo-dock just went 64-bit.
The only thing left, that I know of, is just the Adobe stuff but those have their own amd64 packages developed for them or tutorials.
It really isn’t worth the effort to put getlibs in Gdebi because it wouldn’t be acceptable quality and hardly anything is delivered in just 32-bit anymore.
For instance, if you told getlibs to install packages “x y z” it doesn’t (and can’t) check to see if the 32-bit versions are installed first.
There are a few other issues but they all revolve around getlibs needing to repack the 32-bit libraries into 64-bit packages before installing them rather than just extracting them into /usr/lib32.
May 29, 2008 at 1:51 am
Wanis: wow, thats nice…. never really messed with that before
Cappy: yes, people are working on resolving the issues with some packages, but the point is that until 32 bit is completely eradicated, there will always be programs being produced that DO have 32 bit dependencies that are NOT bundles (take the Amazon Mp3 store program for example).
Like you hinted at though, the main problem with getlibs is that its purely “runtime” at the moment.