Re: Install i386 or amd64?

["Thomas Mueller" <mueller6724%bellsouth.net@localhost>]

from John Nemeth <jnemeth%cue.bc.ca@localhost>:

>    Released versions of NetBSD have okay support for GPT.  -current
> has much better support for GPT.  The intention is to backport the
> improvements after they are complete.

>    Currently, NetBSD can boot with a GPT in CSM mode, but not
> full UEFI mode.  Full support for UEFI booting is not in any version
> of NetBSD but is being worked on and appears to be coming along
> quite well.

>    Windows requires full UEFI mode for booting when used with a
> GPT, and will only do BIOS booting when used with an MBR.

What are the improvements in NetBSD-current regarding support for GPT?

I've built and maintained USB-stick installations of NetBSD 5.2-STABLE, 
6.1-STABLE and HEAD for both amd64 and i386, mainly HEAD, am not updating 
releng-5 any more.

Is it the NAME= in /etc/fstab that enables USB-stick and other installations of 
NetBSD find their root?

But still there is the problem of running out of dk wedges if there are "too 
many" GPT partitions on the hard drive.

This is no problem with FreeBSD and Linux, which use dynamic device nodes as 
opposed to the preallocated device nodes of NetBSD and OpenBSD, and years ago, 
Linux and FreeBSD.

Preallocated device nodes add a layer of difficulty to NetBSD, which already 
has a much harder time on my hardware than FreeBSD or Linux.

Regarding the original topic of this thread, I installed both amd64 and i386 
for FreeBSD 10.0-STABLE and 11-HEAD.

Reason for i386 part is MS-Windows functionality through Wine.  Wine-i386 can 
run under FreeBSD amd64.  This requires a full i386 installation to 
/compat/i386, except possibly the i386 kernel.  So I install FreeBSD i386 to a 
separate partition and mount on /compat/i386 from FreeBSD amd64.

I don't know about /compat/i386 in NetBSD, but this is my reasoning for the 
i386 installation, which would apply for NetBSD.

That being said, I believe 8.1 is the first 64-bit-only MS-Windows, meaning MS 
is phasing out 32-bit support.

Tom