Question

Linux version: find out the distribution and version number

Answer 1

Linux version: what does the distribution and version number indicate?
Find out the Linux version in the terminal
Step one: find out the version number of the distribution
Second step: view the Linux kernel version
Third step: everything at a glance with the Inxi app

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Linux version: find out the distribution and version number

Normally when you hear Linux, you usually think of an alternative open source operating system to Microsoft and Apple. However, unlike the market giants who always launch a new development of the same operating system, there is no single Linux operating system..

Instead, what there is is a wide variety of open source operating systems , called distributions, that are based on the Linux kernel , that is, the kernel of the Linux program. Therefore, Linux is only the mainstay of all operating systems that arise from combining this kernel with other components. While Microsoft and Apple publish closed source software products, the kernel serves the Linux community as the basis for creating their own applications and operating systems, because the source code is open, freely accessible, and modifiable at will.

As you can imagine, there are countless versions of Linux, and this is why it is important to know which one we have installed and its distribution number, especially in case of installing updates or if we have questions or technical problems. It is not difficult to see the Linux version : we explain how to do it in just a few steps..

Index

1. Linux version: what does the distribution and version number indicate?
2. Find out the Linux version in the terminal
   1. Step one: find out the version number of the distribution
   2. Second step: view the Linux kernel version
   3. Third step: everything at a glance with the Inxi app

Linux version: what does the distribution and version number indicate?

As of June 2020, there are more than 500 different and independent Linux distributions . The best known open source operating systems based on the Linux kernel are Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, SUSE, Manjaro, and Linux Mint.

The Ubuntu operating system alone consists of more than 65 new updated software applications based on your system. The latest Ubuntu distribution was released in 2020 with version number 20.04. The first Ubuntu appeared in 2004 and was based on the Debian version of Linux..

Distributions fall roughly into three basic Linux family trees and many other smaller family trees or independent versions. For example, the entire Ubuntu family tree is based on Debian , while Fedora is based on Red Hat Linux . SUSE Linux, meanwhile, used the Slackware version of Linux.

Although they all have the kernel in common, each version of Linux constitutes an independent operating system developed from its own GNU tools and graphical user interfaces, depending on the objective, the software offering and the available hardware. To find your way around the extensive Linux map , it is important to know which version of Linux we have installed and how to display the Linux kernel version and distribution number.

Find out the Linux version in the terminal

Regardless of whether you use a Linux distribution for private or work purposes, it is always a good idea to find out which version you have installed . This way you can also know, for example, with which package manager you should download new tools and updates or which Linux forum you should contact if you have any questions or technical problems.

When looking for Linux version information, two pieces of information are especially important:

1. Version number of the distribution
2. Linux kernel version

In Linux, you work with Linux commands, which, in turn, use so-called shells , that is, programs that serve as an interface between the system and the user. The shells run on a graphical terminal that processes commands in the corresponding programming language. With this terminal you will be able to know your version of Linux in just a few steps.

Step one: find out the version number of the distribution

Open the terminal of your version of Linux with the key combination [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [T] or with the search function. Enter the following command in the terminal and hit the return key:

 

  cat /etc/*release  

The asterisk in the code is used for the command to take into account all distributions and therefore display the installed version. The data you see now may seem confusing at first; some lines appear twice and several end in? release ?. Also note that, depending on the distribution, the file containing the version information may vary.

In any case, pay attention to the line? PRETTY_NAME = ?, Which indicates the version of Linux and the number of the distribution you are currently using.

Another command that works in all distributions without installing any special tools is the following:

  cat /etc/os-release  

If you just want to know the current Linux distribution and version number, this command will suffice:

  lsb_release -d  

In our example, you can see that the installed Linux version is Ubuntu 20.04 LTS for desktop.

The lsb_release -d command displays the current release and version number.

The following command provides more detailed version data:

  lsb_release -a  

The lsb_release -a command displays more information about the current release and release number.

The lsb_release command should work on any version of Linux if you have the lsb-release package installed or if it is part of your Ubuntu version. If you don't have this package installed, for example on Debian / Ubuntu distributions, you can install it with this command:

  apt-get -y install lsb-core  

Second step: view the Linux kernel version

If you want to know the version of the Linux kernel , enter the following command in the terminal and press the return key:

  uname -r  

The uname -r command displays the kernel number of the current Linux version.

In this way, the Linux kernel data will appear . In our example, the kernel information for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS is displayed . The kernel is numbered 5.4.0-26 .

In addition to the kernel version , you can get more information (such as the computer architecture) with the following command:

  uname -a  

The uname -a command displays the current Linux kernel and other information about the Linux distribution.

Third step: everything at a glance with the Inxi app

With the Inxi program, you can easily view all the data of the hardware, host , kernel , desktop environment and current version of Linux . To install the Inxi tool on Debian / Ubuntu use this command:

  apt-get -y install inxi  

Now to find out the mentioned information, you just have to enter the following command:

  Inxi -Sz  

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