The unix.linux file command is great for this. It can generally detect the target architecture and operating system for a given binary (and has been maintained on and off since 1973. wow!)
Of course, if you’re not running under unix/linux – you’re a bit stuck. I’m currently trying to find a java based port that I can call at runtime.. but no such luck.
The unix file command gives information like this:
hex: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, ARM, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked (uses shared libs), for GNU/Linux 2.4.17, not stripped
More detailed information about the details of the architecture are hinted at with the (unix) objdump -f <fileName> command which returns:
architecture: arm, flags 0x00000112:
EXEC_P, HAS_SYMS, D_PAGED
start address 0x0000876c
This executable was compiled by a gcc cross compiler (compiled on an i86 machine for the ARM processor as a target)