On Ubuntu Linux you can use the following commands to find out the information about the Linux kernel and Ubuntu release:
- uname command – Display name and information about current kernel.
- /proc/version file – Same as uname command.
- lsb_release command – Display Ubuntu Linux distribution version and release information.
How to find Ubuntu Linux kernel version
Type the following command:
$ uname -r
Sample outputs:
3.2.0-51-generic
OR
$ uname -a
Sample outputs:
Linux b1 3.2.0-51-generic #77-Ubuntu SMP Wed Jul 24 20:18:19 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
The above output indicates that I am using Linux kernel version 3.2.0 on Ubuntu. You can use the cat command to display the same information:
$ cat /proc/version
How to find the Ubuntu Distribution version
Type the following command:
$ lsb_release -a
Sample outputs:
No LSB modules are available. Distributor ID: Ubuntu Description: Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS Release: 12.04 Codename: precise
The same information can be obtained by typing the following comamnd
$ cat /etc/lsb-release
OR
$ cat /etc/*-release
Sample outputs:
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu DISTRIB_RELEASE=12.04 DISTRIB_CODENAME=precise DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS"
Related media
This tutorial is also available in a quick video format:
Video 01: Find The Linux Kernel Version Command Tutorial
I ‘m a student of IT, doing special research in LINUX.