Open to clarifying Linux & MacOS ARM experimental status?

[Alex-Monahan]

Hello!

Thanks for the great database!

Would you be open to clarifying a bit about the risks of using the experimental ARM on Linux and ARM on MacOS binaries?

I am ok if the performance is less than optimal, but is there any risk of crashing, corruption, or data loss? If I have a small database that is not performance sensitive, will it be safe to use these binaries?

Thanks!

[Yash-xoxo]

Great question! Here's what "experimental" typically means for CockroachDB ARM builds:

Performance: Not as optimized as x86_64 - some codepaths may be slower

Stability: Generally stable for basic workloads, but less tested in production

Risk level:

• Crashes: Possible but rare - ARM builds run the same code, just different compilation target
• Corruption/data loss: Very unlikely - storage layer is architecture-independent
• Edge cases: More likely to hit untested scenarios

For your use case (small, non-performance-sensitive DB):
Should be fine! Just:

• Test your specific workload first
• Keep backups (you should anyway)
• Monitor for any unusual behavior
• Consider upgrading to stable when ARM support graduates from experimental

The CockroachDB team can provide more specific guidance on current ARM status, but generally "experimental" = "works but not battle-tested at scale."