How can I tell if I am using the hard-float or the soft-float version of Debian/Raspbian?

Question

Let's assume that I am dropped into a room with a Raspberry Pi running either Debian or Raspbian. How do I find out if it has hard float support or if it is just using soft float?

Answer 1

Check for the existence of the directory:

/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf

the soft-float version do not have this directory, they have:

/lib/arm-linux-gnueabi

instead, or you can list the packages installed using:

dpkg -l

and see the platform in the third column (all/armhf/armel)

Answer 2

The accepted answer is correct, but a really simple method is:

dpkg --print-architecture

If your system is using a hard float architecture, you will then see:

armhf

ARM Hard Float. :-)

Answer 3

Issue the command:

readelf -A $(which dpkg)

On a hard-float (hf) system, you will see this as part of the output:

Tag_ABI_VFP_args: VFP registers

See http://www.cnx-software.com/2013/04/22/how-to-detect-if-an-arm-elf-binary-is-hard-float-armhf-or-soft-float-armel/