Code:
uname -a
but all I get is
Code:
Linux mavaddat-desktop 2.6.24-23-generic #1 SMP Wed Apr 1 21:43:24 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU/Linux
. Doesn't this mean I'm not in a 32-bit environment?

This just means that you're running a 64-bit kernel - which should support the 32-bit environment.