Find out the Linux name, version and kernel details

This short tutorial are intended to help newbies who don ' t know what to find out the Linux distribution name, version and Ke Rnel details via command line.

Method 1–distribution & Version Details

Command:

Cat/etc/*-release

Sample Output on CentOS 6.4:

CentOS Release 6.4 (Final)

Sample Output on Ubuntu 13.04:

distrib_id=ubuntudistrib_release=13.04distrib_codename=raringdistrib_description= "Ubuntu 13.04" NAME= "Ubuntu" Version= "13.04, Raring ringtail" id=ubuntuid_like=debianpretty_name= "Ubuntu 13.04" version_id= "13.04" home_url= "http ://www.ubuntu.com/"support_url=" http://help.ubuntu.com/"bug_report_url=" http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/"

Sample Output on Debian 7:

Pretty_name= "Debian Gnu/linux 7 (wheezy)" name= "Debian Gnu/linux" version_id= "7" version= "7 (wheezy)" Id=debianansi_ Color= "1;31" home_url= "http://www.debian.org/" support_url= "http://www.debian.org/support/" bug_report_url= "http ://bugs.debian.org/"

Method Distribution & Version Details

Command:

Lsb_release-a

Sample Output on Debian 7:

No LSB modules is available. Distributor ID:DebianDescription:Debian Gnu/linux 7.1 (wheezy) Release:7.1codename:wheezy

Sample Output on Ubuntu 13.04:

No LSB modules is available. Distributor ID:UbuntuDescription:Ubuntu 13.04release:13.04codename:raring

Method 3–finding Kernel Version

Command:

Cat/proc/version

Sample Output on CentOS 6.4:

Linux version 2.6.32-358.11.1.el6.centos.plus.i686 ([email protected]) (GCC version 4.4.6 20120305 (Red Hat 4.4.6-4) (GCC) ) #1 SMP Wed June 17:07:23 UTC 2013

Sample Output on Debian 7:

Linux version 3.2.0-4-486 (Debian-ker[email protected]) (GCC version 4.6.3 (Debian 4.6.3-14)) #1 Debian 3.2.46-1

Sample Output on Ubuntu 13.04:

Linux version 3.8.0-29-generic ([email protected]) (GCC version 4.7.3 (Ubuntu/linaro 4.7.3-1ubuntu1)) #42-ubuntu SMP Tue 19:40:39 UTC 2013

Method 4–finding Kernel Version

Command:

Uname-a

Sample Output on CentOS 6.4:

Linux server.unixmen.com 2.6.32-358.11.1.el6.centos.plus.i686 #1 SMP Wed June 17:07:23 UTC to i686 i686 i386 Gnu/linux M

Sample output on Debian 7:

Linux server 3.2.0-4-486 #1 Debian 3.2.46-1 i686 gnu/linux

Sample Output on Ubuntu 13.04:

Linux SK 3.8.0-29-generic #42-ubuntu SMP Tue 19:40:39 UTC x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 gnu/linux

Method 5–finding Distribution Name

Command:

Cat/etc/redhat-release

Sample Output on CentOS 6.4/rhel 6.4:

CentOS Release 6.4 (Final)

Method 6–finding Distribution version

Command:

Cat/etc/debian_version

Sample Output on Debian 7:

7.1

Sample Output on Ubuntu 13.04:

Wheezy/sid

Method 7–finding distribution Name & Version

Command:

Cat/etc/issue

Sample Output on Ubuntu 13.04:

Ubuntu 13.04 \ \l

Sample Output on Debian 7:

Debian Gnu/linux 7 \ \l

Sample Output on CentOS 6.4:

CentOS Release 6.4 (Final) Kernel \ r on a \m

For other distributons

I didn ' t not check the following commands yet, because I don ' t has the respective systems at the time writing this. I gathered these details on various websites. Hope it helps you.

Novel SUSE:

Cat/etc/suse-release

Fedora:

Cat/etc/fedora-release

Slackware:

Cat/etc/slackware-releasecat/etc/slackware-version

Mandrake:

Cat/etc/mandrake-release

Yellow Dog:

Cat/etc/yellowdog-release

Sun JDS:

Cat/etc/sun-release

Solaris/sparc:

Cat/etc/release

Gentoo:

Cat/etc/gentoo-release