MapServer & friends on 64-bit system?

[Mark Phillips]

Hi List,

I'm about to develop a custom MapServer application for a client, and
the client is considering buying a Dell system with an Intel
EM64T-enabled P4 processor, running Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS for
EM64T.

The software that we will be using includes MapServer, mapscript (perl
and/or python), GDAL, OGR, Postgres, and Postgis.

Does anyone know if there might be any issues with running any of this
software on such a system?  In particular, is this a 64-bit system?
If so, I'm wondering if there could be some issues with getting the
software configured and compiled and working in a 64-bit environment.
I don't think we care about actually running any of this software in
64-bit mode, although doing so would be fine if it's trivial.  I'd
just like to know whether we might run into any snags, or have to do
anything out of the ordinary, because of the system itself being a
64-bit system, if that is the case. (Not being a hardware guy, I'm
actually not completely sure what the "EM64T" business is about, and
what its ramifications might be.)

I have configured, compiled, and used all of this software on several
systems in the past, but never a 64-bit one.

Would it be safer to get a 32bit system, since we don't anticipate
actually using 64-bit applications?  Or does it really not matter one
way or the other?  The client is leaning towards the 64-bit system so
as to have the capability of running 64-bit applications in the
future, if and when the need arises.

I'd appreciate hearing any insights or stories of peoples'
experiences.

Thanks in advance,

--Mark

Mark Phillips @ Geometry Technologies LLC
77 Owenby Cove Road
Fairview, NC  28730
Phone: 828-628-0489
mbp at geomtech.com       http://www.geomtech.com