Re: [PATCH 00/18] Make common x86 arch area for i386 and x86_64 - Take 2

Linus Torvalds
2007-03-18T23:11:49Z

On Fri, 16 Mar 2007, Andi Kleen wrote:

> > In the future it is likely that x86_64 will significantly deviate from
>
> It already is in some cases. And I agree more will happen.

This is a *totally* bogus and idiotic argument.

x86-64 will get new capabilities, BUT IT WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OLD
x86-64 machines.

And those machines are basically identical to perfectly regular i386
platforms.

So the whole argument that it would "diverge" is total crap. It obviously
won't diverge, simply because the support for old setups is needed on
x86-64 *regardless* of whether 32-bit support exists on the same platform
or not.

There's a huge difference between divergence and "more capabilities".

Linus