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How to know what distro is it

I have a linux server , I check the /etc/ , there is no *release* file in it , can advise how can I know what linux distro is it ? eg. CentOS , suse

You can try this perhaps

Code:

cat /etc/issue

Code:

lsb_release -a

Code:

cat /proc/version

Use Google man ;)

Also try looking for a file like:
/etc/*-version
Also seems newer releases of some distros are starting to use a file named:
/etc/os-release

John

You can sometimes get a clue from distro names encoded in the kernel name:

Code:

uname -a

Linux myHostName 2.6.18-164.10.1.el5 #1 SMP Thu Jan 7 22:25:39 EST 2010 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

indicates a kernel for 'Enterprise Linux 5', which is a Redhat based kernel & distro.

--- rod.

See for instance rkh_dat_get_os_info() (starting at line 5198 in that revision)? BTW this isn't exactly never asked before.

Maybe needs updating but

Code:

function get_distro_name {

    if [[ -r '/etc/lsb-release' ]]; then

        . /etc/lsb-release

        [[ "$DISTRIB_ID" ]] && n="$DISTRIB_ID"

    elif [[ -r '/etc/release' ]]; then

        n=`head -1 /etc/release | sed 's/ *\([[^0-9]]*\) [0-9].*/\1/'`

    elif [[ -r '/etc/arch-release' ]]; then

        n="Arch Linux"

    elif [[ -r '/etc/debian_version' ]]; then

        n='Debian'

    elif [[ -r '/etc/gentoo-release' ]]; then

        n='Gentoo'

    elif [[ -r '/etc/knoppix-version' ]]; then

        n='Knoppix'

    elif [[ -r '/etc/mandrake-release' ]]; then

            n='Mandrake'

    elif [[ -r '/etc/pardus-release' ]]; then

        n='Pardus'

    elif [[ -r '/etc/puppyversion' ]]; then

        n='Puppy Linux'

    elif [[ -r '/etc/redhat-release' ]]; then

        n='Red Hat'

    elif [[ -r '/etc/slackware-version' ]]; then

        n='Slackware'

    elif [[ -r '/etc/SuSE-release' ]]; then

        n='SuSE'

    elif [[ -r '/etc/xandros-desktop-version' ]]; then

        n='Xandros'

    elif [[ -r '/etc/zenwalk-version' ]]; then

        n="Zenwalk"

    fi

    [[ $n = '' ]] &&  echo "ERROR: Could not determine the distro name" >&2

} # get_distro_name

Quote:

Originally Posted by catkin (Post 4830823)

Maybe needs updating

Patches are welcome.

Thanks for effort.

For SuSE it has both a /etc/lsb-release and a /etc/SuSE-release file.
However there is no DISTRIB_ID value set in the file so value n never gets set.

I'd suggest putting the /etc/lsb-release as part of else clause and have variable n overrided if DISTRIB_ID variable is set.