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Covalent And Redhat Developing 64 bit Apache

Posted by Hemos on from the building-it-better-and-faster dept.

ruiner5000 writes "Well it is official. AMD has just sent out a press release announcing that Covalent and Redhat are developing a 64 bit version of Apache. "Covalent is developing 64-bit compatibility because we believe the upcoming AMD Opteron processor-based server systems will deliver superior performance and reliability for our easy-to-install Apache project server software," said Mark Douglas, senior vice president of engineering, Covalent Technologies. "Compatibility is essential, and we are cooperatively working to ensure optimal performance with the upcoming AMD Opteron processors." "

4 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Grassroots by Ann+Coulter · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I really don't trust corporations taking charge of a major Open Source project in any manner. Even if they stick to the GPL all the way I will still have doubts. First of all, AMD is another official supporter of DRM technology. I really don't trust the motives of companies' subvertion of Apache. If they continue to modify Open Source projects for the first real DRM equipt AMD, what prevents a major media corporation from funding an initiative to add DRM software to Apache and sell it to unsuspecting business customers? Why are they spending their time and resources to do something that Apache developers probably will get to in the near future? We should be more cynical with regards to corporate support of Open Source projects. In my opinion, critical Open Source projects should be managed and developed by an unbiased group of developers.

    1. Re:Grassroots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Well, those companies which contribute to the project can't make it become 'closed source' from open, so even if they do develop DRM technologies, then someone will just release a version with all the good parts and without the unwanted DRM chaff, then that version would become dominant. So I really don't think letting companies contribute to open source projects is a problem - their changes would still have to be accepted before they were widely propogated.

  2. Advantage to 64bits by DrZaius · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What is the advantage to running a 64bit web server? From what I've heard and read, pointers are still pointers and registers are still registers. I don't really see any area where a normal webserver would benefit.

    In the webservers I run, most of the data that gets delivered is pretty small and most of the mathematically calculations can be done well within 32bits.

    Am I an ignorant fool?

    --
    -- DrZaius - Minister of Sciences and Protector of the Faith
  3. Re:I'm pleading ignorance here.... by Cygnusx12 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I actually asked the same question recentlt at work!

    Having just come off a project in which we ported all of our db code from 32 bit to 64bit, (Solairs CC 6.0u2) the conversion was actually a bit tricky, and there were a few nuances we had to deal with in order to get completely functional models. (Bit-packing, etc, INTs are 4 wide rather than 2, etc.).

    Several overloaded classes also need to be created to allow portability between the 32bit and 64bit versions, and several of our tools needed upgrading as well.

    There are most likely several hooks that need to be "re-Type(defed)" in order to function i>properly under the OS, would be my ever so humble opinion.