[wpkg-users] Extend 64-bit support for IA64

[Rainer Meier]

Hi Stefan,

On 10.07.2011 21:18, Stefan Pendl wrote:
> I know that the binaries are different, but the registry key that WPKG checks is the same for all WOW64 implementations.
> See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384232%28VS.85%29.aspx

So that's good news. If the documentation is correct, then WPKG could 
potentially run correctly on IA64 environment. However I did not find clear 
information yet whether there is a native IA64 binary for WSH. If WSH runs in 
32-bit WOW64 environment only then WPKG might be unable to access the 64-bit 
paths and registry keys.

However the current implementation in SVN shall not have negative side effects 
to x86 and x86-64 environments. So we can easily state we have support for all 
these platforms and try to find a fix if somebody owning an IA64 system 
discovers issues.


>> Does anybody operate an IA64 system who can tell us what value the
>> PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE environment variable has on such a system?
>>
>
> See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384274(VS.85).aspx

Thank you. So the "IA64" string for PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE is confirmed.


> Sure it would be better to have feedback from one who is actually using such a system, but the hardware is expensive and the Itanium
> processor is only used for server systems now, since workstations were seldom ordered by customers.

I doubt it ever will be in the mid-term future. IA64 is a dead architecture now. 
x86-64 will remain the standard for x86 architecture and IA64 will live as long 
as HP enforces Intel to fulfill their contracts. As soon as this is over the 
architecture is supposed to die. Oracle already discontinued IA64 support. 
Riding a dead horse...

Let's keep the current implementation and see if in the future anybody will use it.

br,
Rainer