4.2 Do You Want 32-Bit or 64-Bit OES Linux?

Compatibility is the first thing to consider as you start planning which software to download and install.

OES NetWare® (NetWare 6.5) is a 32-bit operating system that you can install on both 32-bit and 64-bit server hardware.

OES Linux, on the other hand, is a set of services or an add-on product that runs on SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server (SLES 10) and is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. These two versions are required for compatibility with SLES 10 and the server hardware that it runs on. Having two versions of OES Linux introduces a little more complexity into your planning, as illustrated in Table 4-1.

Table 4-1 OES 2, SLES 10, and Server Hardware Compatibility Matrix

OES 2 SP1 Version

SLES 10 SP2

Server Hardware

Notes

32-bit (i386)

32-bit (i386)

32-bit

64-bit

The 32-bit version of OES 2 SP1 requires the 32-bit version of SLES 10 SP2.

Attempting to install the 32-bit version of OES as an add-on product to the 64-bit version of SLES 10 generates numerous dependency errors because the 32-bit OES 2 install is looking for 32-bit SLES 10 packages.

32-bit software (OES and SLES) can be installed on either 32-bit or 64-bit hardware.

64-bit (x86_64)

64-bit (x86_64)

64-bit

The 64-bit version of OES 2 SP1 requires the 64-bit version of SLES 10 SP2, and they can only be installed on 64-bit hardware.