[[!meta title="Multiarch"]] Multiarch refers to the ability to install and use packages built for non-native architectures and the ability to coinstall multiple architecture builds of any supporting package. It is currently being [designed][wuc-mas] and [implemented][wdo-ma] in Debian and Ubuntu. Multiarch is useful for this distribution because it can make cross building and cross installing easy. Design Aspects ============== There are three high-level design aspects to this multiarch implementation: the filesystem hierarchy that primarily enables package coinstallability, control information documenting package coinstallability and dependency satisfaction, and coinstallability considerations in package management. For more details, see the [[multiarch_design_document|dev/multiarch/design]]. Goals ===== The design and implementation of the filesystem hierarchy is [[a_goal_for_release_1.0|dev/releases/1]]. Package coinstallability is not a goal for this release. [wdo-ma]: http://wiki.debian.org/Multiarch [wuc-mas]: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MultiarchSpec