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When installing Ubuntu I have found two image files, one for amd64 architecture and one for ppc64el architecture. Are they both for 64 bit architecture? If yes, what is the difference, and which one should I install?

Eliah Kagan
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Bharath kotha
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2 Answers2

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Yes, they are both 64-bit, as is arm64. However, they are for different core architectures.

  • amd64 is x86 based 64-bit (but not ia64 which is a different architecture)
  • pc64el is for POWER 64-bit (but which is different from s390x)
  • arm64 is for ARM 64-bit, which is mostly used in newer phone/tablet systems

You should almost certainly be using the amd64 build for a modern PC build. Systems with arm4 usually require specific images built for the devices, and POWER you almost certainly don't have, if you are asking this question. :)

muru
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dobey
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ppc64el enables IBM's POWER8 and also the OpenPOWER server architecture. If you have a system that is based on either of those, then ppc64el is the one to choose. Detailed information about this architecture, how to install, etc is located at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ppc64el.

Kalle Richter
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buzzgen
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