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[Q] Does Android uses 32 bit Linux kernel or 64 bit?

I know this is a stupid question, but seriously.. I am curious if it uses 32 bit or 64 bit..

i'm not expert on this but i'm pretty sure anything on that runs on ARM platform is 32bit or less

tamoghno said:
i'm not expert on this but i'm pretty sure anything on that runs on ARM platform is 32bit or less
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. 64 bit capable ARM cpu designs already exist, but currently, everything that's actually put into phones is 32 bit (and so is the kernel). If we hit 4 GB RAM in mobile devices, 64 bit ARMs are gonna take over - but this is some years in the future.

XDA_Bam said:
Correct. 64 bit capable ARM cpu designs already exist, but currently, everything that's actually put into phones is 32 bit (and so is the kernel). If we hit 4 GB RAM in mobile devices, 64 bit ARMs are gonna take over - but this is some years in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you sir for a very informative answer
I've done some research about it and yes, they already exists..
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4230160/ARM-unveils-64-bit-architecture

How much Ram for developing?

I have googled the hell out of this, and there just isnt much out there. How much Ram is best for building ROM's? I understand that there is no such thing as too much RAM, but how much is really beneficial? I am currently building from source, and doing some cherry picks with a gateway laptop. 2.1 GHZ dual core AMD vision processor, 4GB Ram DDR3 PC-8500. I am thinking about upgrading to 8GB DDR PC10200. I am wondering if this will speed anything up or not. Or is it just unnecessary spending? The memory is only like $45 shipped so its not overly pricey, but the only thing increasing memory will help me with (or will it?) is compiling and buiding, and syncing. My internet is only ATT DSL and my max download is like 5mb. It is typically my hinderence. Please advise!
And no I cannot upgrade my internet, my complex wont let us have cable from anyone but them and they only offer 1.5mb from bloom, and they want $45 per month. I am paying $20 per month for ATT DSL @ 6mb (which i never get obviously). There are no other DSL providers and like I said the complex wont let any other company bring in cable connections.

It really depends on what OS you're running. A lot of OEMs put x32 Windows on their systems, even though they're all capable of x64 now. If you have a 32-bit system and are running Windows, your OS will limit you to ~3GB of available memory, regardless of how much you have physically installed.
If you're running Linux (which is recommended, I believe, for development), then more memory is always a good thing. The more memory and the faster processor means faster compiling speeds. Faster compiling speed means you can test your ROM/app faster.
Syncing will depend solely on your download speeds, so RAM will not really have any effect on that at all.

liquidzoo said:
It really depends on what OS you're running. A lot of OEMs put x32 Windows on their systems, even though they're all capable of x64 now. If you have a 32-bit system and are running Windows, your OS will limit you to ~3GB of available memory, regardless of how much you have physically installed.
If you're running Linux (which is recommended, I believe, for development), then more memory is always a good thing. The more memory and the faster processor means faster compiling speeds. Faster compiling speed means you can test your ROM/app faster.
Syncing will depend solely on your download speeds, so RAM will not really have any effect on that at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't build source in windows and he has stated he is building from source so he's on linux.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
---------- Post added at 04:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:24 PM ----------
Illnevertell said:
You can't build source in windows and he has stated he is building from source so he's on linux.
Ram isn't dudes problem your processor could use an upgrade though with a decent dual core building at standard -j4 will take roughly 2 hours on cm
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

Illnevertell said:
You can't build source in windows and he has stated he is building from source so he's on linux.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That wasn't mentioned in the OP, but my comments about 32-bit vs 64-bit still hold. There are ways to virtualize, and that would run differently than a full install.
Ram isn't dudes problem your processor could use an upgrade though with a decent dual core building at standard -j4 will take roughly 2 hours on cm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The AMD Vision series are dual, quad, and octo core processors. I'm guessing that his is at least a dual core already. Not saying an upgrade wouldn't help, but it's harder to upgrade a laptop processor than a desktop one.

liquidzoo said:
That wasn't mentioned in the OP, but my comments about 32-bit vs 64-bit still hold. There are ways to virtualize, and that would run differently than a full install.
The AMD Vision series are dual, quad, and octo core processors. I'm guessing that his is at least a dual core already. Not saying an upgrade wouldn't help, but it's harder to upgrade a laptop processor than a desktop one.
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Click to collapse
It's a dual core, wish it was quad lol. I am running Linux mint, 64 bit so that won't limit me thankfully. Good info guys!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda app-developers app

I just read that you can't compile 2.3.x+ without a 64-bit OS, so my comments about the OS are rendered mostly useless. Other comments still hold, though.

liquidzoo said:
I just read that you can't compile 2.3.x+ without a 64-bit OS, so my comments about the OS are rendered mostly useless. Other comments still hold, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At one point in time I was compiling cm9 on my 32bit system. Took about an two and a half hours though. Dual core with 3gig ram
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ICS I could compile on 32 bit jb I need 64 bit
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I think I'm gonna just grab an 8gb kit from crucial and see what happens
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda app-developers app

That's dumb no point get a better processor before that much ram it will not help you at all with compiling without something to use that data
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Illnevertell said:
That's dumb no point get a better processor before that much ram it will not help you at all with compiling without something to use that data
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't find a processor that's compatible, plus so far building cm10 hasn't even used 75% of my processor. If you can find a way to replace a laptop processor let me know. I hear it's a pain.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda app-developers app

I can do it on my dell inspiron bro and why get 8 gigs of ram your not doing anything that needs it if your also not pushing the processor
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Illnevertell said:
I can do it on my dell inspiron bro and why get 8 gigs of ram your not doing anything that needs it if your also not pushing the processor
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I'll look into finding a drop in quad core, it will take time to research tho.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda app-developers app

Rom Building Setup
Decepticaons said:
I have googled the hell out of this, and there just isnt much out there. How much Ram is best for building ROM's? I understand that there is no such thing as too much RAM, but how much is really beneficial? I am currently building from source, and doing some cherry picks with a gateway laptop. 2.1 GHZ dual core AMD vision processor, 4GB Ram DDR3 PC-8500. I am thinking about upgrading to 8GB DDR PC10200. I am wondering if this will speed anything up or not. Or is it just unnecessary spending? The memory is only like $45 shipped so its not overly pricey, but the only thing increasing memory will help me with (or will it?) is compiling and buiding, and syncing. My internet is only ATT DSL and my max download is like 5mb. It is typically my hinderence. Please advise!
And no I cannot upgrade my internet, my complex wont let us have cable from anyone but them and they only offer 1.5mb from bloom, and they want $45 per month. I am paying $20 per month for ATT DSL @ 6mb (which i never get obviously). There are no other DSL providers and like I said the complex wont let any other company bring in cable connections.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm currently using an old Vista computer with an AMD Athlon Dual core 4600+, GeForce 210 PCIe, & 2GB of DDR2. Nothing fancy nor overclocked. I have Linux Mint 13 "Maya" - Cinnamon (64-bit) installed and it all works quite nicely. Your biggest downfall is going to be your DSL (I have the same) because it takes a few hours to download the repository files. As far as compiling & debugging goes, it's all good.
The Mint linux is simply a Ubuntu based OS with far less GUI issues on my older comp, I've had both but Mint seems to run smoother:
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=106
There's lotsa good info here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801690
I'm still very new to the actual building myself but I've had a blast learning! My phone is actually running on a system I compiled all by myself! I couldn't have done it without all the help from my new friends here on XDA...
Search the forum for more info, it's ALL there, you simple need to look for it! Hope I helped...
Have fun with it!
---------- Post added at 10:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:21 PM ----------
scootertrashtx said:
I'm currently using an old Vista computer with an AMD Athlon Dual core 4600+, GeForce 210 PCIe, & 2GB of DDR2. Nothing fancy nor overclocked. I have Linux Mint 13 "Maya" - Cinnamon (64-bit) installed and it all works quite nicely. Your biggest downfall is going to be your DSL (I have the same) because it takes a few hours to download the repository files. As far as compiling & debugging goes, it's all good.
The Mint linux is simply a Ubuntu based OS with far less GUI issues on my older comp, I've had both but Mint seems to run smoother:
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=106
There's lotsa good info here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801690
I'm still very new to the actual building myself but I've had a blast learning! My phone is actually running on a system I compiled all by myself! I couldn't have done it without all the help from my new friends here on XDA...
Search the forum for more info, it's ALL there, you simple need to look for it! Hope I helped...
Have fun with it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I should have mentioned my compile time, It took about 5 1/2 hours on JB... you can throttle the output a bit with a command code that sk8ter listed... let me find it...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1766862
3rd code block in #1...
If you're using a laptop, set it on a hard, flat surface or better yet, get a cooler... it'll get a bit warm.
Read this too... good info:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=667298

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1812253

[Q] 64 Bit Processor?

so i saw that the apple a7 chip is actually just a snapdragon 800 processor just like our nexus 5, does that mean the nexus 5 kernel does support 64bit?

Toxina said:
so i saw that the apple a7 chip is actually just a snapdragon 800 processor just like our nexus 5, does that mean the nexus 5 kernel does support 64bit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it doesnt. The entire system has to be optimised for 64-bit and not only the chip.

gee2012 said:
No, it doesnt. The entire system has to be optimised for 64-bit and not only the chip.
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Click to collapse
Android wouldn't really need to be optimized for 64-bit like the iPhone 5s because Android uses a virtual machine (Dalvik) to run apps, whereas iOS runs applications natively so those applications would need to be optimized for 64-bit.
Sent from my HTC Sensation using Tapatalk

android1234567 said:
Android wouldn't really need to be optimized for 64-bit like the iPhone 5s because Android uses a virtual machine (Dalvik) to run apps, whereas iOS runs applications natively so those applications would need to be optimized for 64-bit.
Sent from my HTC Sensation using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Thanks. learned something.

Toxina said:
so i saw that the apple a7 chip is actually just a snapdragon 800 processor just like our nexus 5, does that mean the nexus 5 kernel does support 64bit?
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Click to collapse
just FYI , right now 64bit on iOS is a gimmick , notice i said " right now" ... dont you find it odd Apple never mention specs ? didnt tell us what the CPU speed was , how much ram... but all of a sudden , they tell us its 64bit architecture? hmm

android1234567 said:
Android wouldn't really need to be optimized for 64-bit like the iPhone 5s because Android uses a virtual machine (Dalvik) to run apps, whereas iOS runs applications natively so those applications would need to be optimized for 64-bit.
Sent from my HTC Sensation using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Incorrect. Much,much, MUCH, of android is native code (even the dalvik interpreter), which is dominated by ARMv7 architecture at the moment. With the transition to 64 bit ARM (AArch64 mode on the ARMv8 processor), the kernel, drivers, bionic libc library, libgralloc (graphics), and countless other libraries need to be ported to 64 bit. This involves 64 bit compilers becoming release quality, and code reviews to ensure that pointer casts are handled appropriately for the transition to a larger address map.
However, there is nothing inherently better about '64 bit' and the Snapdragon 800 chip is a monster.

adma84 said:
Incorrect. Much,much, MUCH, of android is native code, which is currently ARMv7. With the transition to 64 bit ARM (AArch64 mode on the ARMv8 processor), the kernel, drivers, bionic libc library, libgralloc (graphics), and countless other libraries need to be ported to 64 bit. This involves 64 bit compilers becoming release quality, and code reviews to ensure that pointer casts are handled appropriately for the transition to a larger address map.
However, there is nothing inherently better about '64 bit' and the Snapdragon 800 chip is a monster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Learn something new every day But the apps themselves on Android wouldn't need to be re-written for 64-bit like they do on the iPhone 5S, right?
Back to Apple's A7 chip, I think Apple did this to get a head start on 64-bit development; I doubt the iPhone 5S has 3.5GB+ of RAM so 64-bit doesn't seem practical for the 5S.

android1234567 said:
Learn something new every day But the apps themselves on Android wouldn't need to be re-written for 64-bit like they do on the iPhone 5S, right?
Back to Apple's A7 chip, I think Apple did this to get a head start on 64-bit development; I doubt the iPhone 5S has 3.5GB+ of RAM so 64-bit doesn't seem practical for the 5S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes and No. Some Apps (most Games) run native code the would have to be rewitten in 64bit.
I think it has been confirmed that the 5S has 1GB of Ram.

64-bit is meh.. its going to take time for it to mature. Its still in its infant stages and will take time... but eventually down the road, it'll become the standard. For now, I don't think its that much of a thing to look at when buying a phone.

zephiK said:
64-bit is meh.. its going to take time for it to mature. Its still in its infant stages and will take time... but eventually down the road, it'll become the standard. For now, I don't think its that much of a thing to look at when buying a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. In fact, the best thing about 64 bit is the ability to see a 4GB+ memory space. ARMv8 does a nice job of cleaning up the instruction set (I spend my days writing ARMv8 right now), but I expect power to be an issue even at the cost of possible speed improvements due to doubling neon/VFP registers and other such improvements

adma84 said:
Yep. In fact, the best thing about 64 bit is the ability to see a 4GB+ memory space. ARMv8 does a nice job of cleaning up the instruction set (I spend my days writing ARMv8 right now), but I expect power to be an issue even at the cost of possible speed improvements due to doubling neon/VFP registers and other such improvements
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This...
If the addressable mem space (RAM) goes unutilized, the cleaner instruction set remains the only pro. For now, gimmick.... Down the line, standard.
booooom

A7 is not by any means close to a Snapdragon, completely different designs. But similar performance though.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 4

SD 617 32 bit?

I received my G4 plus today. Running
Code:
uname -m
in terminal gave result ARMv7l instead of ARMv8. That means this is indeed a 32 bit chip. I know they sure didn't market it as one but that coupled with the lack of a compass makes me feel deceived.

It is 64-bit
https://www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon/processors/617
"8x ARM® Cortex™ A53"
http://www.arm.com/products/processors/cortex-a/cortex-a53-processor.php
"Cortex-A53 is capable of seamlessly supporting 32-bit and 64-bit instruction sets."
Probably some software glitches.
I'm saddened that there's no magnetometer as well, but it's not the 1st time Moto did it with the G series.
---------- Post added at 07:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:08 PM ----------
Can you test this? BTW
http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4-plus/help/jit-call-recorder-t3381586

I was hoping so too, but "uname -m" cannot lie. If it says the chip is ARMv7 then it is indeed ARMv7. Even ARM says that it should be ARMv8 capable. Anyways, I have written to moto about this. Time will reveal the truth.

@optionalmgrr.la
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/132196/cortex-a53-cpuinfod-as-armv7/132198#132198?newreg=9cbac03b5192492784540ef7387fe35f
Another instance of the same issue. I doubt that it is a software glitch. Seems more like a 64 bit chip configured as a 32 bit one, if that even makes any sense.

SD 617 in our moto is 32bit as 64bit apps aren't installing

That's what happen when you installed a 32-bit kernel/OS on a 64-bit CPU
https://www.linux.com/news/raspberry-pi-3-still-essentially-32-bit-sbc-now
As to why? I have no idea, could be Moto trying to save a little resources on the low end 2GB model.

optionalmgrr.la said:
That's what happen when you installed a 32-bit kernel/OS on a 64-bit CPU
https://www.linux.com/news/raspberry-pi-3-still-essentially-32-bit-sbc-now
As to why? I have no idea, could be Moto trying to save a little resources on the low end 2GB model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Spoke to Motorola about this. They confirmed that it is 32bit.

sai444 said:
SD 617 in our moto is 32bit as 64bit apps aren't installing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by 64 bit apps? Could you tell us which were the 64 bit apps you tried?
sagnikd96 said:
Spoke to Motorola about this. They confirmed that it is 32bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check the PDF I have uploaded. Motorola says it is 64bit as per their customer support. They say there is no issues when trying to install 64 bit apps. My device will arrive on Monday. I will update this thread further after I receive the device.

yeshwanthvshenoy said:
What do you mean by 64 bit apps? Could you tell us which were the 64 bit apps you tried?
Check the PDF I have uploaded. Motorola says it is 64bit as per their customer support. They say there is no issues when trying to install 64 bit apps. My device will arrive on Monday. I will update this thread further after I receive the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Every Google app is made separately for 32bit and 64bit , you can check that in apkmirror .
I tried to install 64bit Google camera it didn't install where as 32bit is working fine .

Looks like Motorola cut corners compiling the image as 32 bit, but spec.out states it as armv8. The specs show a 64 bit cpu with 32 bit data bus. It could also be that the image was made 32 bit with the bus in mind.
When people start building, an attempt at a 64 bit build can be made...

This is an interesting thread. I thought Moto G Plus has 64-bit CPU.

AbhishekS said:
This is an interesting thread. I thought Moto G Plus has 64-bit CPU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry we can still get 64 bit CM roms Who cares about Moto Firmware

yeshwanthvshenoy said:
Don't worry we can still get 64 bit CM roms Who cares about Moto Firmware
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Until there is a cm for this device, I guess everybody.
At this moment I've decided to wait until the 32/3 version is available in The Netherlands. Then I'll decide if I want the 16/2 G4 or the 32/3 G4+. As soon as I have one, I'll hop on the development train.

T_I said:
Until there is a cm for this device, I guess everybody.
At this moment I've decided to wait until the 32/3 version is available in The Netherlands. Then I'll decide if I want the 16/2 G4 or the 32/3 G4+. As soon as I have one, I'll hop on the development train.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
32/3 is probably the sweet spot.
64/4 is overkill for a midrange.
16/2 is not good enough in 2016.

optionalmgrr.la said:
32/3 is probably the sweet spot.
64/4 is overkill for a midrange.
16/2 is not good enough in 2016.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't totally agree. For the G4, 16/2 would be enough for me, but when I fork over extra cash for the G4+, I want more then just a better camera.
The only reason I look to replace my G2 8/1 phone is due to hardware issues. For the extra heavy work I have mt Tab S2, so the phone does little more then whatsapp, calendar and navigation. (and a phonecall when I feel like it)

optionalmgrr.la said:
It is 64-bit
https://www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon/processors/617
"8x ARM® Cortex™ A53"
http://www.arm.com/products/processors/cortex-a/cortex-a53-processor.php
"Cortex-A53 is capable of seamlessly supporting 32-bit and 64-bit instruction sets."
Probably some software glitches.
I'm saddened that there's no magnetometer as well, but it's not the 1st time Moto did it with the G series.
---------- Post added at 07:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:08 PM ----------
Can you test this? BTW
http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4-plus/help/jit-call-recorder-t3381586
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes in the first set of reviews , in cpu-z it is detected as sd615 !!! so i think this also happened in the same way !!! as it is a new soc the s/w may not be updated with current details !!

This phone has no magnetometer? Gyroscope?

Guys this is the same that happened with the G3... it has a 64 bit processor running 32bit software, and the drivers and propietary libs are extracted from the official moto software. So don't hope for a 64bit CM rom.

No magnetometer But a darn good gyro

Some action going on here : https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Moto-G-13MP-16MP-Plus/Moto-G4-Plus-32bit-Processor/m-p/3337724 They say 32 bit OS gives better performance on 64 bit processor. Pure marketing and making us pay for something that we can't use.

[Completed] 32 bit rom on 64 bit phone ?

Hello there,
I have noticed a few low end phones that are using 64 bit MTK cpus are running 32 bit roms of lollipop.
Although most apps on the market may be 32 bit anyway, it just seems odd to use the older version.
I doubt there much in it it terms of speed, but some of these phones may never get an update, also the 64 bit chip phones are more
money the 32 bit versions.
My oneplus is super fast and I think is 32 bit, however I was looking out I for spare backup phone for about £60 and at that price, I think every little bit helps.

corrected
Hello there,
I have noticed a few low end phones that are using 64 bit MTK cpus are running 32 bit roms of lollipop.
Although most apps on the market may be 32 bit anyway, it just seems odd to use the older version.
I doubt there much in it it terms of speed, but some of these phones may never get an update, also the 64 bit chip phones are more
money the 32 bit versions.
My oneplus is super fast and I think is 32 bit, however I was looking out for a spare backup phone for about £60 and at that price, I think every little bit helps.

fatcarrotcake said:
Hello there,
I have noticed a few low end phones that are using 64 bit MTK cpus are running 32 bit roms of lollipop.
Although most apps on the market may be 32 bit anyway, it just seems odd to use the older version.
I doubt there much in it it terms of speed, but some of these phones may never get an update, also the 64 bit chip phones are more
money the 32 bit versions.
My oneplus is super fast and I think is 32 bit, however I was looking out for a spare backup phone for about £60 and at that price, I think every little bit helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi fatcarrotcake
Thanks for using XDA Assist.
Could you please state the Manufacturer & Model of your device so we could better approach your request guiding you to the appropriate experts?
I will be waiting for your reply within the next 2 days.
Nice regards.
.

Hello it wasn't phone specific,just wanted anyone's input on the subject.
Sent from my A0001 using XDA-Developers mobile app

fatcarrotcake said:
Hello it wasn't phone specific,just wanted anyone's input on the subject.
Sent from my A0001 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi fatcarrotcake
Thank you for using XDA Assist
Our experts are divided on specific devices forum. I thought I could direct you the the closer ones of your device.
Anyway, if you search a more "holistic" approach, our experts at the below forum should be able to help you. Please be welcome to post over in there.
Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting
Nice regards and good luck.
.