MacBookPro3,1 + Snow Leopard = 32 bits.

R C-R wrote:

JamesAllen wrote:
Doesn't work for me either. Can't see any reason either, from what I can tell its certainly capable hardware-wise of running the 64bit kernel.

First of all, you would need a 64-bit compatible driver for your graphics system & any other essential hardware to run the 64 bit kernel, right?

Secondly, I cannot find any current Apple k-base articles regarding support for starting up in 64 bit mode for Macs running Snow Leopard, just for Macs running Snow Leopard Server.

IOW, this may have nothing to do with hardware capability but instead with OS support that is not provided in the non-server version of the OS.

*dude... you can start up in 64bit even on the new iMacs and also on the newer Macbooks (like all the Unibody models)* but you're right about the driver kexts they have to be 64bit capable but they aren't for the older macbook models like the 3,1 which we are using.. i guess you could do a search and maybe find essential driver kexts with 64bit capability and then try to do a lipo on your mach_kernel or maybe just edit the boot.plst..
but you have to question yourself what do you want this for.. since the 64bit kernel extensions are meant for addressing big amounts of RAM like you maybe use on the pro models or on a server...
so if you're planning to install more than 8gb of ram.. (what for ??) than you should be concerned about 64bit kexts... otherwise just wait for some updates if it doesn't seem snappy enough.. i don't find that to be the case...

kadoudal wrote:
some dev guys are recompiling w X86-64 architecture other not... some posts -> Yes you have too, other posts -> No you shouldn't ....
(got this issue w MySQL upgrade , 64 or not 64... yes you should go to X86-64 as you have a Core 2 Duo, then no, you should not as your EFI is 32...)

And none of this matters. You don't need the x86_64 kernel to run the x86_64 applications and vice versa. MySQL will run x86_64 just fine even with the 32-bit kernel running.

There is no mess to speak of. It's actually a very elegant solution.

Krakatos wrote:
I can't see any 32-bit only extensions in System Profiler, so I wouldn't think that's the reason it won't boot in 64-bit mode.

mmmh.. weird..

I'm having the same problem with my macbook pro 2,1 as well.

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=10140302#10140302

I have a 64-bit processor, but my EFI is 32-bit.

Message was edited by: blackbull77

I just checked and there are some extensions which are not 64bit capable...
like: system 6.0
Mach 6.0
IOKit 6.0
BSDKernel 6.0
AirPortAtheros

but seriously.. you don't need the 64bit kernel extensions to run 64bit apps.. this only is used to address big amounts of RAM which by an average use aren't necessary.. I am using my macbook pro with logic, some plugins and reason 4 at a time.. and it is really really fast having to manage a big amount of tracks in logic and reason..
using the 32bit kernel.. and 4gb of RAM...
so more RAM in that case is a showing off issue... and not really a technical...

I don't know what AirPortAtheros is, and I don't have it listed, but there are 64-bit equivalents listed for all the "6.0" extensions, anyway. My problem is not that 32-bit mode is the default - I can understand that some third party drivers aren't upgraded yet. But why can't I run 64-bit drivers on a clean Mac if I choose to do so, if my EFI supports it, by enabling it myself? I don't understand why there's some kind of override.

kaosdroid wrote:
i guess you could do a search and maybe find essential driver kexts with 64bit capability and then try to do a lipo on your mach_kernel or maybe just edit the boot.plst..

What about frameworks? I've got a pile of 32 bit ones on my 2008 iMac. Some don't seem essential & a few are obviously left overs from old migrations, but some appear to be the latest versions installed with Snow Leopard & essential to at least some OS services.

My guess is that users running SL server are provided 64 bit versions of any of these things that are needed; the rest of us would have to do with the 32 bit versions & there would be little or no point in running the 64 bit kernel, whether the OS or Apple lets us do that or not. Servers with a lot of clients might actually need the 64 bit address space to provide the services to many clients at once, but it is hard to see how the regular version of the OS would.

R C-R wrote:

kaosdroid wrote:
i guess you could do a search and maybe find essential driver kexts with 64bit capability and then try to do a lipo on your mach_kernel or maybe just edit the boot.plst..

What about frameworks? I've got a pile of 32 bit ones on my 2008 iMac. Some don't seem essential & a few are obviously left overs from old migrations, but some appear to be the latest versions installed with Snow Leopard & essential to at least some OS services.

My guess is that users running SL server are provided 64 bit versions of any of these things that are needed; the rest of us would have to do with the 32 bit versions & there would be little or no point in running the 64 bit kernel, whether the OS or Apple lets us do that or not. Servers with a lot of clients might actually need the 64 bit address space to provide the services to many clients at once, but it is hard to see how the regular version of the OS would.

Yeah dude.. but as a matter of fact... the regular version of SL does run in 64 bit on newer machines having to press "6" and "4" key on boot or even by default on newer mac pro models... so there is no doubt that it does... and another post on the first page here says.. that EFI firmware needs an update and our macbook pro 3,1 will run 64bit kernel extensions just fine... so.. wait for firmware update and other updates to have it fully running in 64bit mode..

I still don't get all the fuzz about it.. I mean you could say: yeah but the benchmark tests between 32 bit and 64 bit kernel extensions do show a difference of almost 25% on app starting.. hehehehe.. but you know.. benchmark tests are good for printing them on toilet-paper... seriously.. would you notice the difference? and if so.. from what it looks like it is just necessary to update the EFI firmware (what seems probable to me) and so therefor just wait till some updates are ready..

kaosdroid wrote:
Yeah dude.. but as a matter of fact... the regular version of SL does run in 64 bit on newer machines having to press "6" and "4" key on boot or _even by default on newer mac pro models_...

That last underlined part is news to me & contradicts what I have heard about SL specifically not doing this to preserve compatibility with some third party kexts. Are you sure that this is the default on newer Mac Pro's (running the regular version of SL)? It would explain some of the problems reported elsewhere in this forum -- if it is accurate....

Of course they aren't 64-bit capable. Because those are the 32-bit versions of the extensions. There are 64-bit equivalents, if you are booted with the 64-bit kernel.

The 32-bit versions are there to boot in 32-bit mode, and to provide compatibility with 32-bit kernel extensions.

So much misinformation on this topic. The 32-bit kernel is the right boot mode for 99.999% of desktop users at this time. It does not in ANY way prohibit using 64-bit applications.

William Lloyd wrote:
Of course they aren't 64-bit capable. Because those are the 32-bit versions of the extensions. There are 64-bit equivalents, if you are booted with the 64-bit kernel.

The 32-bit versions are there to boot in 32-bit mode, and to provide compatibility with 32-bit kernel extensions.

So much misinformation on this topic. The 32-bit kernel is the right boot mode for 99.999% of desktop users at this time. It does not in ANY way prohibit using 64-bit applications.

yeah... macbook pro 3,1 definitely won't boot into 64bit mode (even capable) because of a firmware. update needed.. which should be there soon..
hadn't anything to do with the drivers after all...

R C-R wrote:

kaosdroid wrote:
Yeah dude.. but as a matter of fact... the regular version of SL does run in 64 bit on newer machines having to press "6" and "4" key on boot or _even by default on newer mac pro models_...

That last underlined part is news to me & contradicts what I have heard about SL specifically not doing this to preserve compatibility with some third party kexts. Are you sure that this is the default on newer Mac Pro's (running the regular version of SL)? It would explain some of the problems reported elsewhere in this forum -- if it is accurate....

and seriously... you didn't know that SL (regular version) is able to boot the 64bit kernel ?!?
... now that is weird...
=)

oh yeah.. and YES.. even by default on newer mac pro models..

but actually this discussion here is about the macbook pro 3,1
because it is especially weird that 64bit kernel wouldn't boot no matter what you try...
because this book is from EFI to CPU and other hardware completely 64bit capable...
but.. =) EFI needs obviously some update..
i tried hacks.. that wouldn't work.. would make my kernel unusable and no boot after all =)
didn't try the patch from the hackintosh community (there is one for 32bit EFI..) but my guess
is.. it wouldn't work either since it aims to another issue of SL not wanting to boot with 64bit kernel..

kaosdroid wrote:
oh yeah.. and YES.. even by default on newer mac pro models..

Again, I only see this info from Apple for Snow Leopard Server, not for the regular version of the OS. Do you have any reference (preferably from Apple) for this as the default behavior for the latest Mac towers running Snow Leopard?