LinuxQuestions.org - [SOLVED] How do I know which distribution I have?

- Linux - Newbie (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/)

- - How do I know which distribution I have? (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/how-do-i-know-which-distribution-i-have-4175666262/)

How do I know which distribution I have?

I'm trying to help a mentally-challenged person on-line new to Linux. He doesn't know what distribution he has. I found a page that pointed me to /etc/issue , but mine doesn't have the distribution named in it. /etc/os-release does, but is it universal? I use Slackware.

Code:

cat /etc/*release*

It's sort of a catchall, but it usually works.

Every once in a while you can get information from uname -a on some specific kernels.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandomTroll (Post 6069649)

.../etc/os-release...is it universal?

It was intended to be. I don't remember seeing it absent in a very long time.

The shell script VBoxSysInfo.sh that is part of VirtualBox has a bit of logic related to detecting the distro, maybe that can be helpful.

lsb_release sometimes works.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandomTroll (Post 6069649)

Surely there has to be something fundamentally missing with any or all distributions if there isn't a common simple way to identify the distro in the first place.

Come on distro writers, take that pen out of your @ss and add an ABOUT to the start menu.

I find that

Code:

inxi -b

gives the distribution (and considerably more information).
Of course its possible that you will need to install the inxi package first...

Quote:

if there isn't a common simple way to identify the distro in the first place.

Somebody had to install that. They don't know what they installed?
Or if bought that way, the description should have told what it was.

Or if your buddy installed it and then gave it to you, give it back. What a horrible holiday present. Hey here's an Arch linux machine I made for you. Here's the web site and the wiki url. You're on your own...

Quote:

Come on distro writers

They are not there to serve you. They have made a distro that they want to use, 1000's of hours of work, open sourced it, so that you can use it too if you want to. Free of charge, modify it how you wish.

Now, if you are using Redhat, and paying for it, then call them on the phone and demand support.

https://www.tecmint.com/commands-to-...tion-in-linux/

Quote:

Originally Posted by baggister (Post 6070044)

This... isn't as simple as you make it sound.

https://xkcd.com/927/

A more sophisticated formatted output compared to post #2 cat /etc/*release*, which separates the output with file name headers, blank lines and separators, can be obtained by using:

Code:

$ for f in /etc/*release*; do echo -e "File $f:\n"; cat $f; echo "----------"; done

When I run this on Fedora 30 I get:

Code:

$ for f in /etc/*release*; do echo -e "File $f:\n"; cat $f; echo "----------"; done

File /etc/fedora-release:



Fedora release 30 (Thirty)

----------

File /etc/os-release:



NAME=Fedora

VERSION="30 (Thirty)"

ID=fedora

VERSION_ID=30

VERSION_CODENAME=""

PLATFORM_ID="platform:f30"

PRETTY_NAME="Fedora 30 (Thirty)"

ANSI_COLOR="0;34"

LOGO=fedora-logo-icon

CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:fedoraproject:fedora:30"

HOME_URL="https://fedoraproject.org/"

DOCUMENTATION_URL="https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora/f30/system-administrators-guide/"

SUPPORT_URL="https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Communicating_and_getting_help"

BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugzilla.redhat.com/"

REDHAT_BUGZILLA_PRODUCT="Fedora"

REDHAT_BUGZILLA_PRODUCT_VERSION=30

REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT="Fedora"

REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT_VERSION=30

PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Legal:PrivacyPolicy"

----------

File /etc/redhat-release:



Fedora release 30 (Thirty)

----------

File /etc/system-release:



Fedora release 30 (Thirty)

----------

File /etc/system-release-cpe:



cpe:/o:fedoraproject:fedora:30

----------

As every distribution has different /etc/*release* files this will display all that exist on a given system separated by headers and formatting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandomTroll (Post 6069649)

/etc/os-release does, but is it universal? I use Slackware.

Well, it's a systemd thing and it's in Slackware. Sounds universal to me.

http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/os-release

https://www.freedesktop.org/software...s-release.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by tofino_surfer (Post 6070092)

A more sophisticated formatted output, which separates the output with file name headers and blank lines, can be obtained by using:

Code:

$ for f in /etc/*release*; do echo -e "$f:\n"; cat $f; echo ""; done

Well not that sophisticated:) - I tried it and got:-

Quote:

for f in /etc/*release*; do echo -e "$f:\n"; cat $f; echo ""; done
/etc/lsb-release:

DISTRIB_ID=LinuxMint
DISTRIB_RELEASE=3
DISTRIB_CODENAME=cindy
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="LMDE 3 Cindy"
/etc/lsb-release.dpkg-old:

DISTRIB_ID=LinuxMint
DISTRIB_RELEASE=2
DISTRIB_CODENAME=betsy
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="LMDE 2 Betsy"

/etc/os-release:

PRETTY_NAME="Linux Mint LMDE"
NAME="Linux Mint LMDE"
ID=linuxmint
ANSI_COLOR="1;31"

The True answer is

Quote:

DISTRIB_CODENAME=cindy
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="LMDE 3 Cindy"

Quote:

Well not that sophisticated - I tried it and got:-

This is exactly what it's supposed to do, print a header for each file name and have the output separated by blank lines. What were you expecting ? I was comparing it to the earlier post #2

Code:

cat /etc/*release*

which simply dumps all output together in one block without telling which output comes from which file or even separating the output with blank lines.

Quote:

The True answer is

DISTRIB_CODENAME=cindy
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="LMDE 3 Cindy"

You don't seem to understand this but this is only from the lsb-release file. I use Fedora and don't have this file.

Code:

$ for f in /etc/*release*; do echo -e "$f:\n"; cat $f; echo ""; done

/etc/fedora-release:



Fedora release 30 (Thirty)



/etc/os-release:



NAME=Fedora

VERSION="30 (Thirty)"

ID=fedora

VERSION_ID=30

VERSION_CODENAME=""

PLATFORM_ID="platform:f30"

PRETTY_NAME="Fedora 30 (Thirty)"

ANSI_COLOR="0;34"

LOGO=fedora-logo-icon

CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:fedoraproject:fedora:30"

HOME_URL="https://fedoraproject.org/"

DOCUMENTATION_URL="https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora/f30/system-administrators-guide/"

SUPPORT_URL="https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Communicating_and_getting_help"

BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugzilla.redhat.com/"

REDHAT_BUGZILLA_PRODUCT="Fedora"

REDHAT_BUGZILLA_PRODUCT_VERSION=30

REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT="Fedora"

REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT_VERSION=30

PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Legal:PrivacyPolicy"



/etc/redhat-release:



Fedora release 30 (Thirty)



/etc/system-release:



Fedora release 30 (Thirty)



/etc/system-release-cpe:



cpe:/o:fedoraproject:fedora:30

There is no lsb-release file on Fedora and no DISTRIB_CODENAME or DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION anywhere. Your "True answer" doesn't work for Fedora/RH users and likely many other distributions.

Since you don't know what distribution the OP uses or any one else reading this post your "True answer" is meaningless.

My recommendation simply lists and formats all of the available output that actually does exist on a given system.

I usually just "grep RETT /etc/*lease", unless mc is installed, in which case I just F3 /etc/os-release.