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In looking for a distro I need to define this..
I would think this is AMD vs Intel but could not find that info...

I have a P3-M 1ghz laptop I want to use to learn about Linux...

But I also have couple P4- 3ghz and a couple of AMD's that may be used later....

Yea, I know I have too much hardware laying around...
(Just ask my wife) :)

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A short, practical follow-up to and with a checklist you can use right away (no rehash of the basic terms).

First, check what the CPU and kernel actually report on the laptop and on the later machines. Boot any Linux live USB and run:

uname -m
grep -o -w 'lm' /proc/cpuinfo && echo "long mode present" || echo "no long mode"

If uname -m prints x86_64 or you see the lm flag, the processor supports the modern x86-64 instruction set; absence of lm means the CPU is an IA‑32-style processor. (osdev.wiki)

Second, be aware of naming and baseline changes when picking ISOs. Many distributions label 64‑bit images amd64 (a historical name — it runs on modern Intel and AMD chips), while 32‑bit builds appear as i386/i686. Some distros have raised their minimum 32‑bit baseline (Debian moved its i386 baseline toward i686 in recent releases), so check the release notes before you download. (wiki.debian.org)

Third, pick a distro appropriate for a Pentium III laptop: very lightweight, actively maintained projects that still offer i386 images are the usual choice (antiX, Tiny Core, Puppy, Porteus, etc.). If you want up‑to‑date mainstream packages on newer hardware (your P4s or AMD boxes), use amd64 images there. Note that several mainstream projects have phased out or reduced 32‑bit support (Arch removed i686 support in 2017), so prefer distros that explicitly keep i386 installers if you need long‑term 32‑bit use. (antixlinux.com)

Practical workflow: confirm CPU (commands above), make a small live USB of a lightweight 32‑bit distro, test hardware (network, video), then install. If the laptop lacks PAE or has very little RAM, try the tiniest builds (Tiny Core or Puppy) rather than a full desktop.

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Member Avatar for blud

X86-64 is a processor that is based on the x86 design, such as pentium and AMD and are 64bit, where as i386 are the regular Pentium/AMD's that only have 32bit processors.

Member Avatar for Thong_Ispector

Thank you for your response and my apologies for not getting back sooner...

A friend crashed his PC, I reinstalled his os then he screwed it up again when he forced a driver to install for a device he did not have...
His respose... they are both NETGEAR....
I began to explain the difference between a PCI and a USB device...
I saw the glazed look in his eyes...
I then installed his new Netgear PCI card then epoxied the screws that hold his case together...

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