what version is installed ?

czezz · 02-03-2007, 04:29 PM

How can I check what Debian version I have installed ?
Under slacckware i can do this like that:

Code:

# cat /etc/slackware-version
Slackware 10.2.0

I tryed "uname -a" but it does not show ver.

HappyTux · 02-03-2007, 04:30 PM

cat /etc/debian_version
4.0

czezz · 02-03-2007, 04:37 PM

Hmmm... I have tryed that before but looks like some one has removed it...
Admin of that system has just gone... and some people want me to cary on that now.
Any other way to check ver. ?

I had not much to do with Debian before...

HappyTux · 02-03-2007, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by czezz

Hmmm... I have tryed that before but looks like some one has removed it...
Admin of that system has just gone... and some people want me to cary on that now.
Any other way to check ver. ?

I had not much to do with Debian before...

I believe older versions could be /etc/debian_release, worst case apt-cache policy libc6 then go to packages.debian.org and search on libc6 to find which branch it is.

Edit for that matter the apt-cache command will show you without the search.

Code:

apt-cache policy libc6
libc6:
  Installed: 2.3.6.ds1-10
  Candidate: 2.3.6.ds1-10
  Version table:
     2.5-0exp3 0
          1 http://ftp2.de.debian.org experimental/main Packages
 *** 2.3.6.ds1-10 0
        990 http://ftp2.de.debian.org testing/main Packages
        600 http://ftp2.de.debian.org sid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

czezz · 02-03-2007, 04:56 PM

Hope its good for me... but stil i am not so sure what version I have

Code:

# apt-cache policy libc6
libc6:
  Installed: 2.2.5-11.8
  Candidate: 2.2.5-11.8
  Version Table:
 *** 2.2.5-11.8 0
        500 http://security.debian.org stable/updates/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.2.5-11.5 0
        500 http://ftp.pl.debian.org stable/main Packages

HappyTux · 02-03-2007, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by czezz

Hope its good for me... but stil i am not so sure what version I have

Code:

# apt-cache policy libc6
libc6:
  Installed: 2.2.5-11.8
  Candidate: 2.2.5-11.8
  Version Table:
 *** 2.2.5-11.8 0
        500 http://security.debian.org stable/updates/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.2.5-11.5 0
        500 http://ftp.pl.debian.org stable/main Packages

Your running Woody he oldstable release. I take it the machine has not been updated in a while as it is still using the stable for a code name in your /etc/apt/sources.list now, that should be running Sarge which is the stable release for the next couple of weeks until Etch will be the new stable release sometime this month they say anyways.

czezz · 02-03-2007, 05:26 PM

HappyTUX - many thanx.
btw. just for next time - how can i decode those infos from "apt-cache policy libc6" to determine what distro am I using ?

Any links that may help me to find more details and basis how to administrate Debian ?
(except googles ofcourse that im am using right now

Thanks in advanced,
Czezz

Dutch Master · 02-03-2007, 05:38 PM

Try cat /proc/version to double-check which version you have. No matter how clever that former sys-admin is/was, he can't temper with the kernel's own filesystem /proc... Well, at least not easily

You also may want to upgrade that server soon. Check the file /etc/apt/sources.list It may contain something like this:

Code:

deb ftp://ftp.pl.debian.org/debian/ stable main [contrib] [non-free] 
deb-src ftp://ftp.pl.debian.org/debian/ stable main [contrib] [non-free] 

deb http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates main

The above entries links to the current Stable version Sarge on a Polish Debian mirror. The enties in square brackets ( [ and ] ) are only to be added if the original file also has them. Change the file accordingly and when done, save the file, do

Code:

apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade

This upgrades the system to the current Stable.

HappyTux · 02-03-2007, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by czezz

HappyTUX - many thanx.
btw. just for next time - how can i decode those infos from "apt-cache policy libc6" to determine what distro am I using ?

Any links that may help me to find more details and basis how to administrate Debian ?
(except googles ofcourse that im am using right now

Thanks in advanced,
Czezz

Well your output of the apt-cache is not exactly a good indication of what you are running as it shows stable when in fact you have oldstable installed this you can find by searching on the packages.debian.org I mentioned. The www.debian.org website has a support link where you can find docs and links to mailing lists I would suggest debian-user@lists.debian.org if you want to use a mailing list to ask questions.

czezz · 02-03-2007, 05:53 PM

Excelent!
At first i think ill go to do full backup.
Then i'll upg syytem to current stable release.

This is what I got /etc/apt/sources.list

Code:

#cat /etc/apt/sources.list

deb http://ftp.pl.debian.org/debian/ stable main
deb-src http://ftp.pl.debian.org/debian/ stable main

deb http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates main

And additionally thi is what /proc/version shows - any wahy I have already know its Woody

Code:

# cat /proc/version
Linux version 2.4.24 (root@tubka) (gcc version 2.95.4 20011002 (Debian prerelease)) #6 SMP Sat Feb 2 15:41:43 CET 2006

Thanks for support!

###EDIT
just 1 last more question:
does /etc/apt/sources.list comes with installation of Debion or you need to create it manually ?

Dutch Master · 02-03-2007, 06:16 PM

The sources.list is created during the installation process, based on the info the user puts in (i.e. the additional online resources). But as you know, in Linux 'everything is a file' and thus manually editable

You can keep the existing sources.list, as it's perfectly okay for your system. The former sys-admin(s) never updated the system, otherwise you would have found other data in the files mentioned above

Just back up (which I presumed you'd had already done) and issue the update and upgrade commands I gave earlier.

HappyTux · 02-03-2007, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by czezz

Excelent!
At first i think ill go to do full backup.
Then i'll upg syytem to current stable release.

Sensible idea make sure to read the Sarge release notes on the Debian site in the support section.

Quote:

This is what I got /etc/apt/sources.list

Code:

#cat /etc/apt/sources.list

deb http://ftp.pl.debian.org/debian/ stable main
deb-src http://ftp.pl.debian.org/debian/ stable main

deb http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates main

And additionally thi is what /proc/version shows - any wahy I have already know its Woody

Code:

# cat /proc/version
Linux version 2.4.24 (root@tubka) (gcc version 2.95.4 20011002 (Debian prerelease)) #6 SMP Sat Feb 2 15:41:43 CET 2006

Thanks for support!

###EDIT
just 1 last more question:
does /etc/apt/sources.list comes with installation of Debion or you need to create it manually ?

That sources.list will get you the Sarge release with a dist-upgrade if you want to keep using Sarge when Etch becomes the new stable in a few weeks you should change the stable in the sources.list to sarge otherwise you will be to upgrading to etch next. When installing Debian you get the option to add to the sources.list with the cdrom(s) as the main entry(ies) if using them, if having done it over the network then those sources are in there but it is always created by the installer you always can add new sources manually if wanted/needed by hand.