To find os name

sagar666 · 08-27-2013, 06:15 AM

Hi,

I want to know the os wheather rhel or ubuntu or other.we are having more than 1000 machine.So i can't login and check every machine. Is it possible to check all machines os names using single command or any tool? If yes please let me know

displace · 08-27-2013, 06:35 AM

If you have console access to the machines, have them report the string from this command back:

Code:

 uname -a

However unless these computers have some service that allows you to access them over the network or something that reports the OS name on the network then it's going to be difficult. You could try using the nmap network scanner. It can fingerprint an operating system on the network and return the OS name in some cases. The computer must be powered on and be connected to a network.

lleb · 08-27-2013, 07:51 AM

check out nmap:

http://nmap.org/book/man-os-detection.html

http://nmap.org/book/osdetect-usage.html

http://nmap.org/book/osdetect.html

or just google search using nmap for OS detection. then just wrist a script with either all of the domain names of the servers or their IPs and send all of the data you require to a log file.

TB0ne · 08-27-2013, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sagar666

Hi,

I want to know the os wheather rhel or ubuntu or other.we are having more than 1000 machine.So i can't login and check every machine. Is it possible to check all machines os names using single command or any tool? If yes please let me know

There are many options...nmap was mentioned, there's snmpwalk, fanout, etc.

However, if you're an administrator of more than 1000 machines, shouldn't you already have a monitoring solution in place, and easily be able to research this on your own? Don't you already HAVE scripts to help you in your job of maintaining over 1000 machines?

dt64 · 08-28-2013, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by displace

If you have console access to the machines, have them report the string from this command back:

Code:

 uname -a

However unless these computers have some service that allows you to access them over the network or something that reports the OS name on the network then it's going to be difficult. You could try using the nmap network scanner. It can fingerprint an operating system on the network and return the OS name in some cases. The computer must be powered on and be connected to a network.

uname provides kernel info, not the "OS" you are running.
On RedHat-like systems try

Code:

 cat /etc/*release*

If you can't find an automatic network OS-identification tool and you can't find the time to do every single machine your own, just employ a few students for a few hours doing it all manually for a few bucks. Might even be cheaper than hiring an experienced consultant writing a script for you or stumping your nose on the existing function in your existing monitoring system.

displace · 08-30-2013, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dt64

uname provides kernel info, not the "OS" you are running.

Sorry, I thought it also shows the distro name. I get this on my system:

Quote:

Linux homepc 3.2.0-4-486 #1 Debian 3.2.46-1 i686 GNU/Linux

dt64 · 08-30-2013, 05:15 AM

On one of my TestVMs I get

Code:

[root@CentOS6 ~]# uname -a
Linux CentOS6 2.6.32-358.14.1.el6.x86_64 #1 SMP Tue Jul 16 23:51:20 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Yes, it includes the distro name. But no distro version information. If it e.g. was a CentOS5 it could have been an earlier or later version. The differences between early and latest CentOS5 versions are quite noticable.
But it gives you a first idea, yes.

Code:

[root@CentOS6 ~]# cat /etc/*release*
CentOS release 6.4 (Final)
LSB_VERSION=base-4.0-amd64:base-4.0-noarch:core-4.0-amd64:core-4.0-noarch:graphics-4.0-amd64:graphics-4.0-noarch:printing-4.0-amd64:printing-4.0-noarch
cat: /etc/lsb-release.d: Is a directory
CentOS release 6.4 (Final)
CentOS release 6.4 (Final)
cpe:/o:centos:linux:6:GA

Here you have distro name and release version.

In your example it states Debian. From top of my head I wouldn't know which Debian release includes kernel 3.2.x (assuming the system runs the originally distro-included kernel version), but if it statet Woody or Wheezy I'd had a better idea of what it is. (ok, kernel 3.2.x wouldn't be in Woody

)

lleb · 08-30-2013, 04:46 PM

well to kind of backup dt64 on uname not "really" providing distro info look at the Fedora uname, it tells you its f19, but only if you know what to look for and does not give any further info:

Code:

$ uname -a
Linux tracy.ssmahome 3.10.9-200.fc19.x86_64 #1 SMP Wed Aug 21 19:27:58 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Li

now in the Fedora world you also have /etc/release its /etc/issue:

Code:

$ cat /etc/issue
Fedora release 19 (Schrödinger’s Cat)
Kernel \r on an \m (\l)

still not a great lot of info, but it is what it is.

Code:

$ cat /etc/*release*
Fedora release 19 (Schrödinger’s Cat)
cat: /etc/lsb-release.d: Is a directory
NAME=Fedora
VERSION="19 (Schrödinger’s Cat)"
ID=fedora
VERSION_ID=19
PRETTY_NAME="Fedora 19 (Schrödinger’s Cat)"
ANSI_COLOR="0;34"
CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:fedoraproject:fedora:19"
Fedora release 19 (Schrödinger’s Cat)
Fedora release 19 (Schrödinger’s Cat)
cpe:/o:fedoraproject:fedora:19

provides the most amount of data. sadly this is not something you are going to run via a WAN/LAN without logging into a system, as ssh foo@server "bar" is still logging into a remote system even though it does not stay logged in.