Installing Firefox 32 bit on a 64 bit Mageia

This forum is dedicated to basic help and support :

Ask here your questions about basic installation and usage of Mageia. For example you may post here all your questions about getting Mageia isos and installing it, configuring your printer, using your word processor etc.

Try to ask your questions in the right sub-forum with as much details as you can gather. the more precise the question will be, the more likely you are to get a useful answer

Installing Firefox 32 bit on a 64 bit Mageia

Postby JY » Dec 12th, '20, 16:01

Hello!
On low ram/ low end hardware, firefox 64 bits fills the ram quite quick...
But still using a 64 bit Mageia rather that the 32 bits version of Mageia makes often sense (skype, zoom, dropbox, all only available in 64 bit only versions...).

Therefore i wonder: can I (and how) install the (lighter on RAM) 32 bit version of Firefox on the 64 bit edition of Mageia?

Greetings And Thanks!
JY
 
Posts: 29
Joined: May 9th, '20, 12:49

Re: Installing Firefox 32 bit on a 64 bit Mageia

Postby doktor5000 » Dec 12th, '20, 20:03

Yes, you can but that won't help that much as you're still running a 64bit OS/kernel so the memory footprint will be slightly bigger compared to 32bit only.

Apart from that, you could add some actual details what low RAM means in particular, and how you check if firefox fills that.
You may also consider a different browser, as there are quite a few other browsers that have a lighter memory footprint.
Cauldron is not for the faint of heart!
Caution: Hot, bubbling magic inside. May explode or cook your kittens!
----
Disclaimer: Beware of allergic reactions in answer to unconstructive complaint-type posts
User avatar
doktor5000
 
Posts: 17630
Joined: Jun 4th, '11, 10:10
Location: Leipzig, Germany

Re: Installing Firefox 32 bit on a 64 bit Mageia

Postby morgano » Dec 12th, '20, 21:24

For the question how to:
Enable the 32-bit repositories, see https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Software_management
Then uninstall Firefox, then install 32 bit firefox.
But as doktor said, it will not help much.

A better way is to use a lightweight browser - try Midori :)

And yes Firefox is a monster in regards of memory usage. Tried the other day using Live stick on a 1GB laptop. It more or less froze the machine, had to cut power... ( Am about to retry with swap added on that stick... just to see if it works)
Mandriva since 2006, Mageia 2011 at home & work. Thinkpad T40, T43, T400, T510, Dell M4400, M6300, Acer Aspire 7. Workstation using LVM, LUKS, VirtualBox, BOINC
morgano
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Jun 15th, '11, 17:51
Location: Kivik, Sweden

Re: Installing Firefox 32 bit on a 64 bit Mageia

Postby JY » Dec 14th, '20, 03:32

Thank you for your answers!

To reply to doktor5000 my Ram is 2GB on a intel BayTrail processor...
I usually use this tablet-laptop to scroll satellite maps (yandex's maps that usually dont work in other browsers i tried such as midori or gnome web - you can test here this page : https://yandex.com/maps/?l=sat%2Cskl&ll ... 182076&z=4

One question: If i enable the 32bit repositories, so i'll have to choose later "app by app" to download the 32 bit or 64 bit version for each new dowloaded piece of software?
JY
 
Posts: 29
Joined: May 9th, '20, 12:49

Re: Installing Firefox 32 bit on a 64 bit Mageia

Postby jiml8 » Dec 14th, '20, 06:52

2 GB is tight. I presume you are not running KDE? You need a lighter desktop if that is all the RAM you have.

When you update, the system will update a 32 bit app with a 32 bit app, and a 64 bit app with a 64 bit app. It won't change things on you.
jiml8
 
Posts: 1253
Joined: Jul 7th, '13, 18:09

Re: Installing Firefox 32 bit on a 64 bit Mageia

Postby JY » Dec 14th, '20, 19:42

Well i guess you'll stronlgy disapprove ;) but i am using Gnome cause that is the DE that i like. I understand that its not the recommended choice.
If i can manage to move the swap on zram i guess it'll hep a bit too...

Great to know that 32 bit apps update on their own and 64 bit apps on their own! That's handy!
JY
 
Posts: 29
Joined: May 9th, '20, 12:49


Return to Basic support

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

cron