I have a 64-bit cpu, and I'm currently running a 32-bit Linux distro. In the past, I've tried running the 64-bit version of Mandriva (Mandrake 2005 LE cooker at the time). It ran noticebly faster, but I had problems getting some 32-bit applications to run, like Firefox.

Now I'm thinking about upgrading to a 64-bit Linux distro again, and I'm wondering, has 32-bit compatibility improved in the 64-bit Linux distros? Thanks.