Bypassing Max script execution time

[Extreme]

you know how there is max execution time setted up in a PHP configuration.. And I would like two things..
1. If posible to see what is the value of this time on my hosting server?
2. I wish to bypass it...

I have found some examples, but I don't know if any of these would work, and how to test if it is working or not?!?!
tell me what you think, and here is what I have found. Maybe you have better solution, but here they are:
1. set_time_limit(0);

2. $output=ini_set("max_execution_time","0");
if ($output!=false) {
$output=ini_get("max_execution_time");
echo "new execution time: $output";
} else
echo "problem setting max execution time";

3. @set_time_limit(0);

[diamonds]

I know how to test them. use the sleep() function:


set_time_limit(0);
sleep(50);


however testing it would take 50 seconds, but it works.