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Re: Re: 64-bit again

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg76343] Re: [mg76285] Re: 64-bit again
• From: Chris Hill <chill at wolfram.com>
• Date: Sun, 20 May 2007 02:25:14 -0400 (EDT)
• References: <f2k0fd$e6j$1@smc.vnet.net>

At 03:32 AM 5/19/2007, Al wrote:
>On May 18, 5:51 am, Al <aajackso... at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I got this message from Wolfram :
> > "The Mathematica kernel (the calculating engine) will be a 64-bit
> > application.  The Mathematica frontend (user interface) will be a 32-
> > bit application."
> >
> > Does that mean you should not run Mathematica under the 64-bit version
> > of Vista?
>
>I should have said, the 32-bit Mathematica front end has no problem
>running under Vista 64-bit?
>I am assuming running Vista 64-bit is the only way to take advantage
>of the 64-bit enabled Mathematica kernal?

Briefly:
- Mathematica runs fine under the 64-bit version of Windows Vista
- The Mathematica frontend (32-bit and 64-bit) has no problem running 
under Vista 64-bit
- A 64-bit operating system is required to take advantage of the 
64-bit enabled Mathematica kernel (or any 64-bit program)

In more detail:
The Windows version of Mathematica 6.0 contains 32-bit (x86) and 
64-bit (x86-64) versions of both the frontend and kernel 
binaries.  The Mathematica 6.0 installer installs the 32-bit versions 
when run on a 32-bit system and the 64-bit versions when run on a 
64-bit system.

The 32-bit versions of the kernel and the frontend will run on Vista 
x64, though usually one would run the 64-bit version of Mathematica 
with a 64-bit operating system, since that it what is installed by 
the Mathematica installer.  Running 32-bit programs is a feature 
provided by Vista x64.  32-bit programs can communicate with 64-bit programs.

The 64-bit versions of the kernel and the frontend will not run on 
32-bit Vista.  32-bit Vista can't run 64-bit programs.

(In the older Mathematica 5.2 for Windows, the frontend was 32-bit 
only and the kernel was either 32-bit or 64-bit, depending on the 
version of Windows.  The 32-bit frontend is capable of communicating 
with a 64-bit kernel, which was the expected scenario on a 64-bit 
Windows machine.)

Chris Hill
Wolfram Research