Graphical method
To find the same graphically, see the following steps.
Step 1: Type ‘About’ in the search panel and select the about option.
Step 2: After clicking on About above, it will open an information page as follows:-
Here, the OS type field’s value tells you whether the Linux is 64-bit or 32-bit. In the above example, it is 64-bits.
How to determine whether a given Linux is 32 bit or 64 bit?
Linux operating systems are the most secure OS presently in use. Although Linux is not preferred by regular computer users but any technical user will prefer Linux over any other operating system. In the present times, there are two types of operating systems, based on their operation mode, 32-bit, and 64-bit.
32-bit OS is quite old and does not support much modern software. 64-bit OS is the most advanced architecture currently in use for daily users. Along with its 64-bit memory capabilities, a 64-bit OS also supports 32-bit memory applications/software which, makes it the most preferred OS type.
In this article, we shall see how to determine whether a given Linux is 32-bit or 64-bit using both a graphical interface and a Linux terminal.
Following are some major differences between a 32-bit and a 64-bit operating system
| 32-bit OS | 64-bit OS |
|---|---|
| The maximum amount of RAM that can be accessed by these operating systems is 232 bits, or 4GB, which is very ordinary by modern standards. | The maximum amount of memory that can be accessed by these operating systems is 264 bits or 16 Exabytes of RAM which is way beyond modern standards. |
| A 32-bit system can handle only 32-bit software. | A 64-bit system can handle both 64- and 32-bit software. |
| 32-bit systems are less efficient and perform poorly in multitasking. | 64-bit systems are specifically designed for the needs of multitasking, gaming, and other heavy resource-consuming tasks. |