I just installed the x86_64 build of Fedora 8. This is my first ever experience with x86_64 Linux as I haven't had the hardware before now. I'm amazed at the number of duplicate packages installed. My total of 2096 packages installed includes 417 i386 and 2 i686 packages, all of which duplicate an existing x86_64 packages. I understand that some applications don't play nicely when built for 64-bit pointers, but is it really necessary to have all these compatibility libraries just for those few apps?
