Is this linoleum or tile flooring?

What? Tile and linoleum are two completely different products. Is it hard and does glass shatter when dropped? Tile will get cold in the cooler months. Vinyl or linoleum has some "give" to it.

From this photo it could be either, is there grout in between the pieces? Then tile. No grout, you have vinyl or linoleum.

For the age, it appears as a vinyl flooring that was available in wide rolls. You should be able to tell by pressing your thumb against the pebbled surface area. Vinyl will have a softer feel. Tile will have no "give", beneath your thumb pressure.

Seems like the simplest thing would be to take a box cutter or an X-acto knife and in an inconspicuous place, just make a tiny cut. It it cuts, then you've got vinyl/linoleum; if not, then it's tile. I'm sure someone else can come up with a better "test" though.

What do you mean you can't tell if it is linonium or tile? Did you look in the corner to see if you can lift the linonium up? Did you ever drop a cup and did it shatter on the tile floor? and for that matter, when a cup dropped did it make a sound like a cup on a tile floor or linonium? Did you tap the tile/linolium and made it a sound?

HI Linda. Run your finger nail on the grout lines (or maybe what appears to be). It it feels rough and sandy then it would be real tile. Tile is usually a stone or ceramic as well. Vinyl is a plastic. Good Luck!

Before you paint you will need to clean it well. You should be able to tell which it is. If it's linoleum it is soft-ish. If it is tile it's hard like a rock and the grout lines will be real grout lines. I don't know what paint recommendations you've had I would think they mentioned lightly sanding the surface of the lino to get the paint to stick. If you still aren't sure if it's lino or tile in a spot that is inconspicuous like under the fridge try sticking something sharp into a grout line. If it's sandy or cement like it's obviously real grout. If it dents or cuts it's lino.

Vinyl has an embossed pattern on the surface; whereas, the pattern on linoleum flooring goes all way through the material. The difference is similar to that between engineered hardwood and real wood. If the surface of vinyl wears, the pattern disappears.