How can I check whether I use 32 or 64 bit VGA driver under my system ?
Im using Xubuntu at the moment but I guess there is universal command to find out this detail in any distro ?

The two parts to this are Xorg (xWindows) and the kernel modules. If the kernel is 64-bit and Xorg is (as it normally should be) the same bit width as the kernel, then your video card and display drivers will all be the same bit-width. I presume you have a 64-bit kernel and system. Unless you manually install 32-bit software, drivers, libraries, or applications (which you would notice having done) you should have all 64-bit.

You can list up the applied packages on your system and check, the bit width or target CPU family is normally part of the package name. (i386/i686 is 32-bit, *64 would be 64-bit)

Why does this question even come up?

Hi thanks for reply and this question at the end.

The reason why I ask is that I want to run pipelight on my home box (Xubuntu 14.04.3 LTS, x64).
I have easily installed pipelight on number of other PCs but at my home box it just does not work. It complains about missing Silverlight when I want to watch horizon.tv

I have found this article from Eric and his comment about 32 and 64 bit OS.
http://alien.slackbook.org/blog/pipe...inux-browsers/

My Ubuntu is 64 bit. So I though that maybe VGA driver version is a problem.

your problem is not the drivers, the driver is 64-bit and that is just fine.
The problem is that the 32-bit package you want to run has dependencies. These are libraries that must be installed on the system, because it loads from them at runtime. Worse, those libraries MAY BE INSTALLED, but at the 64-bit version appropriate for your system, and this software will IGNORE them because it is looking for the 32-bit version ONLY.

The solution is referred to in that quote: install the 32-bit libraries. IT does not hurt your 64-bit system to have both installed, and the 32-bit package will then find what it needs and run.

I have, by the way, made some packages run WITHOUT the 32-bit libraries by linking the 64-bit libraries (or folder) into the 32-bit librariy locations. This kind of thing is a hack, and I cannot recommend it. While it may work, it may also result in the 32-bit runtime receiving signals in bit-width they cannot handle, causing them to crash unexpectedly. Finding and installing the correct 32-bit libs is worth the effort.

Hmmm... but even though, the system I am writing from now is also 64 bits.
I have installed Pipelight here using this same steps as on my home box and here it just works.
Im sure I did not install any additional 32 bits libs. Just executed installation steps through apt-get.

How is that possible ?

probably it depends on multiarch support (if it was enabled or disabled). Or probably you installed something differently before....

That may have worked because the 32-bit libraries were ALREADY installed.
There are, in different distributions (even different install process within a distribution) settings for compatibility options that CAN pull in the extra libs.
I have encountered them a couple of times. Not often, because only about 6% of what I do involves desktops or desktop applications where this is more likely to arise. I work server space, where anything that is not 64-bit SHOULD be. ;-)
For a common laptop, workstation, or home server the odds are higher than you would need both 32 and 64 bit libs.

I would not dive deep into finding out, just count that one lucky, this one solved, and value the lesson. I will.

Best of luck!

What I see from the following output on my system it supports both arch:

Not really sure now could that be a reason why pipelight doesnt work there

that could not be the reason. It only means the default is amd64 and i386 supported too.
but it still does not mean all the required libs are installed. you can use the command ldd <file> to check if all the required libs are really available.

$ cat /proc/cpuinfo

but that will not say "how processor is set up by kernel code"

you want to know

#1 am i running true64 ? (or in 32 with 64 extensions?)

#2 if i am, then all software must be tru64, if not, then NO software can be tru64

to know that you'll have to see /usr/src/linux/.config (used to make your kernel) - but you may not

you can look at (or /boot/config if provided), but perhaps you can

$ vi `locate System.map`
# vi /boot/System.map

this shows you modules that are compiled into kernel

$ ls -R /lib/modules

and look for evidence (modules) that are only made if tru64 was chosen

------------------

#3 NOW... if your on the web (i know you are!) you should just check ?ubuntu's easy online package description of the kernel package. it will tell you.

#4 when you "get ubuntu" your asked if you want 32 or 64 base. your (likely) told to "choose a kernel" after choosing base to install, and the default kernel should match the default architecture of the base chosen

now note the kernel support for your video driver must support 32 OR 64 and your stuck with what it does i'll pretend i didn't say that!

-------------------
FINALLY: as others above were saying, you look at your XFree86 or Xorg configuration to find your modules directory (the module loaded for your video card)

find where your video driver is located

... install -c .libs/vesa_drv.so /usr/X11R7.6/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/vesa_drv.so

now this will tell you quite plainly what you got (for vesa driver only):

# make sure you dpkg -i xf86-vesa video driver ok?

# objdump -a -x `locate vesa_drv.so` | less -S

$ objdump -a -x /usr/X11R7.6/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/vesa_drv.so

/usr/X11R7.6/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/vesa_drv.so: file format elf32-i386
/usr/X11R7.6/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/vesa_drv.so
architecture: i386, flags 0x00000150:
HAS_SYMS, DYNAMIC, D_PAGED
start address 0x000018a0

Program Header:
</snip>

Dynamic Section:
NEEDED libc.so.6
SONAME vesa_drv.so

</snip>

############

file format elf32-i386

i forgot to say: go online and check the package description for the video driver .deb package: it may say which, but may not

ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT and insufficient, please do not mark things as solved EVER unless you CAN PROVE IT in court

dpkg --print-architecture(s) does NOT say which driver is installed (let alone configured in /etc/X11/xorg.conf) NOR does it say the architecture of the driver

the person did not ask the "currently selected architecture being used" of the installed debian base (there may be more than one) ... which is a good question and perhaps should have been asked but WASNT

the person asked "is there a way to know if a video driver binary is 32bit mode or 64bit (apparently suspicious if it is a 32bit driver being made to run in 64bit mode - which is possible and would cause issues and have poorer performace. it could happen by bug or glitch, it is infact possible, and can be checked)

debguy: Please do not give the OP instructions on how he should treat his own thread. We are not moderators, and the OP is within his rights. If he feels his problem is solved, that is his call. Nothing here should be taken to court.

I also disagree with some of your statements. Some have value, but a few are technically incorrect.

The commands you provided do provide some interesting and occasionally valuable information. Please do not reduct those.