You can use any one of the following command to find our your Red Hat Enterprise Linux server version:
a) lsb_release command
b) /etc/redhat-release file
c) /etc/issue file
Method #1: Find RHEL version using /etc/redhat-release file
Type the following cat command to display the contents of a file called /etc/redhat-release:
$ cat /etc/redhat-release
Sample outputs:
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 6.5 (Santiago)
In this example, I am using RHEL version 6.5.
Method #2: Determine what version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux is running using lsb_release command
You need to install a package called redhat-lsb-core using yum command:
$ sudo yum install redhat-lsb-core
Sample outputs:
Loaded plugins: product-id, protectbase, rhnplugin This system is receiving updates from RHN Classic or RHN Satellite. 0 packages excluded due to repository protections Setting up Install Process Resolving Dependencies --> Running transaction check ---> Package redhat-lsb-core.x86_64 0:4.0-7.el6 will be installed epel/filelists_db | 8.1 MB 00:02 ksplice-uptrack/filelists | 2.2 kB 00:00 rhel-x86_64-server-6/filelists | 28 MB 00:04 rhel-x86_64-server-6-debuginfo/filelists | 38 MB 00:05 rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6/filelists | 10 MB 00:01 rhel-x86_64-server-optional-6-debuginfo/filelists | 34 MB 00:05 rhel-x86_64-server-supplementary-6/filelists | 1.5 MB 00:00 rhel-x86_64-server-supplementary-6-debuginfo/filelists | 863 B 00:00 --> Processing Dependency: perl-Test-Simple for package: redhat-lsb-core-4.0-7.el6.x86_64 --> Processing Dependency: perl-CGI for package: redhat-lsb-core-4.0-7.el6.x86_64 --> Processing Dependency: /usr/bin/pax for package: redhat-lsb-core-4.0-7.el6.x86_64 --> Processing Dependency: /usr/bin/patch for package: redhat-lsb-core-4.0-7.el6.x86_64 --> Processing Dependency: /bin/gettext for package: redhat-lsb-core-4.0-7.el6.x86_64 --> Processing Dependency: /usr/bin/msgfmt for package: redhat-lsb-core-4.0-7.el6.x86_64 --> Running transaction check ---> Package gettext.x86_64 0:0.17-16.el6 will be installed --> Processing Dependency: cvs for package: gettext-0.17-16.el6.x86_64 ---> Package patch.x86_64 0:2.6-6.el6 will be installed ---> Package pax.x86_64 0:3.4-10.1.el6 will be installed ---> Package perl-CGI.x86_64 0:3.51-136.el6 will be installed ---> Package perl-Test-Simple.x86_64 0:0.92-136.el6 will be installed --> Running transaction check ---> Package cvs.x86_64 0:1.11.23-16.el6 will be installed --> Finished Dependency Resolution Dependencies Resolved ================================================================================ Package Arch Version Repository Size ================================================================================ Installing: redhat-lsb-core x86_64 4.0-7.el6 rhel-x86_64-server-6 25 k Installing for dependencies: cvs x86_64 1.11.23-16.el6 rhel-x86_64-server-6 712 k gettext x86_64 0.17-16.el6 rhel-x86_64-server-6 1.8 M patch x86_64 2.6-6.el6 rhel-x86_64-server-6 91 k pax x86_64 3.4-10.1.el6 rhel-x86_64-server-6 69 k perl-CGI x86_64 3.51-136.el6 rhel-x86_64-server-6 209 k perl-Test-Simple x86_64 0.92-136.el6 rhel-x86_64-server-6 112 k Transaction Summary ================================================================================ Install 7 Package(s) Total download size: 3.0 M Installed size: 0 Is this ok [y/N]: y Downloading Packages: (1/7): cvs-1.11.23-16.el6.x86_64.rpm | 712 kB 00:00 (2/7): gettext-0.17-16.el6.x86_64.rpm | 1.8 MB 00:00 (3/7): patch-2.6-6.el6.x86_64.rpm | 91 kB 00:00 (4/7): pax-3.4-10.1.el6.x86_64.rpm | 69 kB 00:00 (5/7): perl-CGI-3.51-136.el6.x86_64.rpm | 209 kB 00:00 (6/7): perl-Test-Simple-0.92-136.el6.x86_64.rpm | 112 kB 00:00 (7/7): redhat-lsb-core-4.0-7.el6.x86_64.rpm | 25 kB 00:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 3.1 MB/s | 3.0 MB 00:00 Running rpm_check_debug Running Transaction Test Transaction Test Succeeded Running Transaction Installing : cvs-1.11.23-16.el6.x86_64 1/7 Installing : gettext-0.17-16.el6.x86_64 2/7 Installing : perl-Test-Simple-0.92-136.el6.x86_64 3/7 Installing : pax-3.4-10.1.el6.x86_64 4/7 Installing : perl-CGI-3.51-136.el6.x86_64 5/7 Installing : patch-2.6-6.el6.x86_64 6/7 Installing : redhat-lsb-core-4.0-7.el6.x86_64 7/7 Verifying : patch-2.6-6.el6.x86_64 1/7 Verifying : perl-CGI-3.51-136.el6.x86_64 2/7 Verifying : redhat-lsb-core-4.0-7.el6.x86_64 3/7 Verifying : pax-3.4-10.1.el6.x86_64 4/7 Verifying : gettext-0.17-16.el6.x86_64 5/7 Verifying : perl-Test-Simple-0.92-136.el6.x86_64 6/7 Verifying : cvs-1.11.23-16.el6.x86_64 7/7 Installed: redhat-lsb-core.x86_64 0:4.0-7.el6 Dependency Installed: cvs.x86_64 0:1.11.23-16.el6 gettext.x86_64 0:0.17-16.el6 patch.x86_64 0:2.6-6.el6 pax.x86_64 0:3.4-10.1.el6 perl-CGI.x86_64 0:3.51-136.el6 perl-Test-Simple.x86_64 0:0.92-136.el6 Complete! |
Now type the following command:
$ lsb_release -a
Sample outputs:
Method #3: Find RHEL release and version using /etc/issue file
Type the following cat command:
$ cat /etc/issue
Sample outputs:
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 6.5 (Santiago) Kernel \r on an \m
Related media
This tutorials is also available in a quick video format:
Video 01: What Version Of Linux Am I Running?