how to get OS name from command line

swirve · 09-30-2010, 12:08 PM

Did anyone start a howto anywhere? I would find it helpful (if the answer is no, I'd be willing to start one).

Also, I use if [[ `uname` -eq "Darwin" ]] to see if I'm on my macbook.

rob.rice · 10-01-2010, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UK MAdMaN

I don't think there's a command that can identify distros. There has to be something unique to a distro for something to identify the distro, and as all distros use mostly the same code/programs there's nothing unique to be identified.

on slackware "cat /etc/slackware-version" returns "Slackware 13.1.0"
you may or may not have such a file in your /etc directory
ie /etc/<DistroName>-version

farslayer · 10-13-2010, 09:46 PM

lsb_release should work as well..

Quote:

:~$ lsb_release -d
Description: Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.4 (lenny)

archtoad6 · 10-14-2010, 06:27 AM

I just searched out my "comprehensive" answer from a later thread:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...2/#post3736674

There is also some code here which uses the contents of /etc/lsb-release. I would change the elifs to a case statement -- cleaner code.

As for making a HowTo, this is as good a place as any to shape it; & when it looks good, put it in the LQ Linux Tutorials. If shaping it here is too cumbersome for group editing, then maybe the LQ Wiki is a good place.

A search of each might be in order before we start. We don't want to duplicate effort.

catkin · 10-14-2010, 07:22 AM

A more detailed solution is given in this LQ post.