I would like to understand why Linux has several ISO's for each type of CPU (amd64, i386, etc.) and why Windows does not need it?

Because the processor architecture influences the entire Kernel build and the applications that come with the Linux distribution. Any operating system is this way.

Each processor has its own set of instructions. Each set of instructions requires that the assembly of the operating system be mounted differently.

Windows does not escape this. When installing, the installer detects the processor architecture before starting and installs the kernel most appropriate for the processor in question.

And how do you compile this for each type of architecture?

For Linux, GCC by default compiles to 32 bits, but adding the -m64 flag will cause the compiler to perform a 64-bit build. GCC also supports cross-compiling (both 32-bit and 64-bit build, but only at the library level).

There is also the option to select other architectures. The list of architectures supported by GCC is here .

I'll be very brief: AMD64 are for 64 bits processors, and bears the AMD name because it did it first; i386 are for the 32 bits processors, and it takes the i from Intel because it did it first. ;)

A little history:

• Intel

x86 or 80x86 are generic names given to the Intel Corporation's 8086 processor family.

The architecture is called x86 because the first processors in this family were identified only by numbers ending with the string "86": 8086, 80 186 , 80 286 , 80 386 , and 80 486 .

As no you can have a trademark over numbers , Intel and most of its competitors started using names that could be trademarked, such as < but the old nomenclature had already forged a term for the whole family: this x86 .

• Amd

x86-64 was designed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), which renamed it AMD64 . Intel was forced to follow suit by introducing changes already in Pentium 4, and thus launched the Intel64 , which is almost identical to AMD64 .

  

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By responding more directly to your question, we have ISO 32bits and ISO 64bits for both Windows OS and Linux OS (see how windows also needs "that"). When ISO AMD64 will install for 64bits processors both Intel and AMD (see explanation above), and when i386 will install 32bits - see explanation above. :)