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Wireshark-users: Re: [Wireshark-users] 32 bit dissectors on a 64 bit machine

From: Jeff Morriss <jeff.morriss.ws@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:33:43 -0400
Doug Bailey wrote:
I am running 64 bit ubuntu 10.04 and have installed the wireshark package that
comes with the distro. (1.2.7)

I am working with a vendor that has provided me with a set of dissectors
compiled for 32 bit distros whioch of course do not work with my 64 bit wireshark.
What do I need to do to get the 32 bit dissectors to run on my 64 bit machine?

I am assuming that I need to get 32 bit Wireshark (and 32 bit libpcap) installed
on my machine.  Has anyone who has already done this have any pearls of wisdom
about this process?  Any resources out there that can give me more information?

Yes, you'll need a 32-bit Wireshark.

I was able to build a 32-bit Wireshark on a 64-bit Fedora (Core 13) system by:

- installing the 32-bit version of every library Wireshark needs
- running: CFLAGS=-m32 PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/lib/pkgconfig ./configure
- and then building Wireshark.

The PKG_CONFIG_PATH points to where Redhat stores, for example, the glib-2.0.pc file for the 32-bit version of glib.

I do not know if Ubuntu supports the coexistence of 32- and 64-bit versions of basically everything, though.

Would something like running a 32 bit emulation under VirtualBox be possible?

Sure, it should be: just install a 32-bit OS and then install Wireshark on it.