PGI Glossary

The PGI compilers and tools are supported on both 32-bit and 64-bit variants of the Linux and Windows operating systems on a variety of x86-compatible processors. There are a wide variety of releases and distributions of each of these types of operating systems. The Portland Group defines the following terms with respect to these platforms:

Term Definition
x86 Refers to the Intel* Corporation's x86 family of CPU chips, which includes Pentiums and all preceding models such as the 486 and 386. x86-based computers include x86-compatible CPUs from AMD and others. The Portland Group refers to all x86-based computers as x86.
IA32 The extended version of the x86 architecture introduced with the 386 is called x86-32 or Intel Architecture 32-bit. IA32 processors are binary compatible with x86 processors but incorporate new features such as streaming SIMD extensions (SSE) for improved performance.
AMD64 a 64-bit processor from AMD designed to be binary compatible with IA32 processors, and incorporating new features such as additional registers and 64-bit addressing support for improved performance and greatly increased memory range. Popular examples include the Opteron*, Athlon* 64 and Turion*.
EM64T a 64-bit IA32 processor from Intel Corp. with Extended Memory 64-bit Technology extensions that are binary compatible with AMD64 processors. In 2007, Intel designated IA32 processors with EM64T as Intel 64 technology.
Intel 64 See EM64T entry above.
x64 collectively, all AMD64 and Intel 64 processors supported by the PGI compilers.
linux86 32-bit Linux* operating system running on an x86 or x64 processor-based system, with 32-bit GNU tools, utilities and libraries used by the PGI compilers to assemble and link for 32-bit execution.
linux86-64 64-bit Linux operating system running on an x64 processor-based system, with 64-bit and 32-bit GNU tools, utilities and libraries used by the PGI compilers to assemble and link for execution in either linux86 or linux86-64 environments. The 32-bit development tools and execution environment under linux86-64 are considered a cross development environment for x86 processor-based applications.
Win32 any of the 32-bit Microsoft* Windows* operating systems (XP/2000/Server 2003) running on an x86 or x64 processor-based system. On these targets, the PGI compiler products include additional tools and libraries needed to build executables for 32-bit Windows systems.
Win64 any of the 64-bit Microsoft Windows operating systems (Vista, XP Professional/Windows Server* 2003 x64 Editions) running on an x64 processor-based system.
Windows collectively, all Win32 and Win64 platforms supported by the PGI compilers and tools.