A Linux distribution is what most people refer to when they talk about Linux. Nonetheless, this is not the case. Linux is a kernel that serves as a link between software programs and the hardware they run on. An operating system developed from the Linux kernel is known as a Linux distribution. Distribution includes a package manager, pre-installed apps, a desktop environment, and a number of other options.
Ubuntu, Fedora, Manjaro, CentOS, Kali Linux, and Linux Mint are just a few of the well-known Linux distributions. For the purposes of this post, I’ll be running a version of Linux called Ubuntu.
Knowing your Linux version will help you a lot. For example, knowing your Linux distribution affects how you install apps and packages. Because every Linux distribution has its own package manager.
The command-line method of checking your Linux distribution, version, and the kernel is covered in this post.
How To Check Linux Version
We will use 6 ways to check the Linux OS version:
- lsb_release command
- os-release file
- issue file
- hostnamectl command
- uname command
- version file
1. Using lsb_release command
LSB stands for (Linux Standard Base), and the LSB tool can be used to check the current release of the Linux OS.
Run in Terminal:
lsb_release -a
Output:
According to the output in the screenshot above, I am currently running Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS.
Instead of ‘-a,’ use the ‘-d’ argument to display the description. See below command.
Use the ‘–help’ option to see the ‘lsb release’ utility’s other arguments.
2. Display /etc/os-release file
Checking the contents of the ‘/etc/os-release’ file in the ‘/etc.’ directory will also fetch you your Linux distribution and version. To view the contents, use the ‘cat’ or ‘less’ commands.
Run in Terminal:
cat /etc/os-release
Output:
3. Display /etc/issue file
Displaying the issue file’s contents in the /etc directory is another option. Pre-login text such as “System Identification” is stored here. You can do this by typing in the command below.
Run in Terminal:
cat /etc/issue
Output:
4. Using hostnamectl command
‘hostnamectl,’ another useful command-line tool. Among other things, it provides information on the Linux distribution, version, kernel, and other aspects. Changing the hostname is also possible with this tool.
Run in Terminal:
hostnamectl
Output:
5. Using uname command
Information such as the kernel architecture, version, name, and release can be found with the ‘uname’ command. Run the command shown below.
Command:
uname -a
Output:
6. Display /proc/version file
To check the Linux OS, run the command below (OS).
Command:
cat /proc/version
Output:
