Pippo wrote:
I'm a WinXP x64 user; I found that Ethereal does not work under x64
platforms because it relies upon a project that was discontinued.
To what project are you referring? The projects it relies on are
1) WinPcap
and
2) GLib/GTK+-for-Windows
but neither of them have been discontinued.
GLib/GTK+ aren't built for x86-64, but Ethereal doesn't have to run as a
64-bit binary on x86-64. The same applies to other libraries.
WinPcap is the only issue; it currently doesn't support x86-64 (because
part of it is a driver, as Windows, unlike modern UN*Xes, doesn't have a
mechanism accessible from userland to capture packets, and I think
drivers on x86-64 Windows have to be 64-bit), but, unless something has
changed since October 28th, the WinPcap developers have committed to
make it run on x86-64:
http://www.winpcap.org/pipermail/winpcap-users/2005-October/000437.html
although they don't have any plan for *when* it'll happen.
What I would like to ask is: is there any chance to get Ethereal working
under x64 platforms, before than "some day"?
The chances of Ethereal running on Windows for x86-64 are probably equal
to the chances of getting WinPcap running on Windows for x86-64. The
chances of *that* might be increased if somebody paid CACE Technologies:
http://www.cacetech.com/
to do it (CACE is the company founded by Loris Degioanni and Gianluca
Varenni).
