How to check the ubuntu kernel version and release version. Sometimes, after upgrading the kernel version or upgrading from a version to a new version, we want to check whether our ubuntu is successfully upgraded. But is there a quick way to view it in a terminal? The answer is yes. To view the Ubuntu version, you can use either of the following methods. Method 1: run the following command on the terminal: cat/etc/issue to view the version number of the currently running Ubuntu. The output result is similar to the following content: Ubuntu 8.04/n/l method 2. You can use the lsb_release command to view the Ubuntu version number, which is more detailed than method 1. Run the following command: sudo lsb_release-a will output the result: Distributor ID: Ubuntu Description: Ubuntu 8.04 Release: 8.04 Codename: hard. What if you need to check the kernel version number? To view the kernel version, print a terminal and enter the uname-r command.