32-bit Firefox (Re: How long will 64bit Ubuntu users have to wait?)

[Matt Zimmerman]

On Sat, Sep 09, 2006 at 09:38:08AM -0500, Kilz _ wrote:
> Hi Developers
> I love Ubuntu, I have it as my main desktop. I also use it as a server. I am 
> also active on the forums helping 64bit users and beginners where I can. I 
> have written howto's on how to install 32bit firefox with plugins, and wine 
> to 64bit.
> I have asked this question a few times. Now I'm asking it here. How much 
> longer will 64bit systems users be second class citizens?

The correct solution to this problem is 64-bit plugins, in which case we
need to petition Adobe (almost every issue of this type seems to lead to one
of their plugins).  More voices increase the likelihood of this happening.

> In Edgy's release announcement 64bit users were given a slim hope. 
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-announce/2006-April/000064.html
> we were told of a first taste of multiarch.
>
> I cant seem to find that spec in Edgy, can someone point me to it with a
> link? The more I read I find it may not be until Edgy +2 or +3 before we
> see it. Is this true? With Intel and AMD both making 64bit chips now, just
> how long do you think its going to take until the 64bit platform is a
> majority?

Multiarch was not on the Edgy roadmap, and there are currently no plans to
implement it.

> Next I would like to know why 64bit users cant have a distro that "just 
> works" while we are waiting. Why cant we have a 32bit Firefox and plugins 
> available? Why cant we have a 32bit Wine? Why cant we have a 32bit media 
> player available? They don't even need to be defaults. But why do 64bit 
> users have to follow howto's to install them? Don't tell me it cant be done. 
> I wrote the howto's that install them. I created a 32bit Firefox .deb file 
> most 64bit users use. Don't think it isn't necessary. There are 24,317 hits 
> on my howto http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=1174435 . Don't say 
> that there was no spec, someone else wrote one long ago. 
> https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/32bit-browser-on-amd64 .

I would not object to having a 32-bit firefox build available.  That spec
doesn't describe how to achieve the goal, but here are the basic elements
required for a developer to get it done:

- Add its build-dependencies to ia32-libs or similar
- Duplicate the firefox source package
- Keep it up to date and respond to bug reports

-- 
 - mdz