i am using Ubuntu Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS, in 64bit OS, i am about to install oracle instant client in my system, on checking this tutorial
I saw 2 may be 3 linux versions
1 Oracle Database 10g Instant Client for Linux AMD64 (32-bit and 64-bit)
2 Instant Client for Linux x86-64
What is the difference between these two?
also which one should i take?
12 Answers
First off, AMD64 = x86-64; they both refer to the same architecture, not sure why they used a different nomenclature.
Secondly, Oracle Database 10g Instant Client for Linux AMD64 (32-bit and 64-bit) comes with two different packages available for download, while Instant Client for Linux x86-64 comes with a single package available for download.
This is because Oracle Database 10g Instant Client for Linux AMD64 (32-bit and 64-bit) comes with a different package for each architecture (one for x86 and one for AMD64 / x86-64), in fact the size of the two packages amounts roughly to the size of the package in Instant Client for Linux x86-64.
Since you're running a 64-bit version of Ubuntu, just pick the 64-bit version in Oracle Database 10g Instant Client for Linux AMD64 (32-bit and 64-bit), which is only ~32MB vs the ~62/~63MB of the multi-architecture version in Instant Client for Linux x86-64.
In general both are 64 bit capable, this is just name convention for whom architecture belongs.
Actually AMD were the first to come up with a 64-bit capable x86 chip, hence at the beginning it was called AMD64, as Intel followed suit and also made their x86 chips 64-bits capable, the architecture changed name to x86_64 (even though each company have their own name for their implementation of the architecture).
Read my answer: for more information.
