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Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 21:28:48 +0100
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] PHP on 64-bit windows
From: lester@lsces.co.uk (Lester Caine)

Pierre Joye wrote:
> hi,
>
> On Mon, Apr 21, 2014 at 12:26 PM, Lester Caine <lester@lsces.co.uk> wrote:
>> Pierre Joye wrote:
>>>
>>> php 6 will actually have real 64bit support, hopefully, the int64
>>> branch has all necessary changes and I seriously hope that the RFC
>>> will be accepted.
>>
>> Pierre ... I'm still fighting 32/64 bit problems with windows on legacy
>> systems. 64 bit windows does not allow access to the parallel port which we
>> use for controlling additional hardware.
>
> I have no parallel port at hand to do tests but it should work like
> any devices. Please report a bug, add a stack trace (process monitor
> output) to see what happens.

This is not a general PHP problem, but relates to use of the parallel port in 
other hardware drivers. NTPort lib still only supports 32bit applications, and 
'fastmode' access is specifically blocked by 64 bit windows! A number of drivers 
that my legacy hardware systems use are unusable on 64 bit windows and those 
projects are now advising staying with 32bit windows as they have been 
unsuccessful in producing a 64bit driver due to the blocks applied in kernel access.

>> While not directly a problem for
>> simple code, is the way 64 bit builds of windows handle memory access a
>> problem for PHP builds? Having moved the servers over to Linux for PHP and
>> database support, the remaining elements are STILL locked to 32bit windows
>> simply because of legacy hardware, but I'm trying to work out the best way
>> forward as we are still tied to XP on a number of systems ... with PHP
>> access for control ... so things are getting very messy :(
>
> If you use XP it means you use 5.4, we do not provide any 64bit
> support for windows with 5.4, only 5.5+, experimental.

My point is that moving things to 64 bit builds of windows, which are the norm 
for windows 8.1 - or at least I have not yet found a pre-installed 32 bit 
windows 8.1 - is now highlighting problems that are not easy to get around. 
Simply running 32bit builds of applications does not mean they will actually 
work on 64it windows! One needs to have 32 bit windows for some kit for which 
there is no later drivers. XP may be end of life, but there is currently no 
alternative that I've managed to get working on even W7 and now testing on W8.1 
is throwing up new failures. Having now picked up a 32bit build of W8.1 I'm 
hoping to make some progress, but this is all very messy and time consuming!

-- 
Lester Caine - G8HFL
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