UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

How to find whether the Unix is 32 or 64 bit in a Solaris machine


Thanks
LS1429

isainfo can be used to obtain that information whther the machine is 32 bit or 64 bit.

Use:
$ isainfo -kv

64% isainfo -kv
64-bit sparcv9 kernel modules

32% isainfo -kv
32-bit sparc kernel modules

( Solaris 2.6 and earlier releases are always 32 bit and lack the "isainfo" command. )

* A 32 bit kernel is only supported on "Sun4C, Sun4M, Sun4D and even Sun4U hardware using UltraSPARC I, II or IIi processors.
Sun hardware released after Solaris 8 no longer supports 32 bit booting; you can only run 64 bit kernels on those. This applies to all Ultra-III systems as well as the Sun Blade 100 and other UltraSPARC-IIe systems.

Hallo,
if you use Solaris 8 there is an command for controll if it is a 32 or 64 bit system.

isainfo -v

regards joerg

sorry to late !

Thanks .
Mine is SOLARIS 2.6 as OSTYPE and hence obviously isainfo does not work. Hence by default my system should be 32 bit.
Right ?

Also I need one more clarification.
My machine's OSTYPE is SOLARIS2.6 and SUNOS 5.6.
I am not able to figure what the version associated with SOLARIS and SUN is and why are they different.

Also, OSTYPE, is it been set by user or at configuration level


Thanks in advance
LS1429

SunOS 5.6 has support for large files but 5.7 is indeed where full 64 bit support starts.

According to Posix standards, with which Sun claims compliance, you run "uname -s" to get to get the name of the OS and you run "uname -r" to get the release.

As near as I can figure, it goes like this: In the beginning there was SunOS and it was based on BSD. But SunOS 5.0 was a major rewrite and at this point SunOS was now based on System VR4. Apparently some marketing droid came along and christened the result "Solaris 2.0". But the kernel programmers ignored him and continue to call the OS "SunOS 5.0".

The kernel programmers continue to use their naming convention and named various releases stuff like "SunOS 5.6" which the marketing droid called "Solaris 2.6".

But with SunOS 5.7, the marketing droid decided to call the OS "Solaris 7". I'm betting that he switches to Roman numerals pretty soon.

So it looks to me like Sun is unable to reach a unified conclusion as to what to call their OS. I wish they would hold a hot dog eating contest or something to settle this. In the meantime you have two choices.