You can display the Linux version directly via the terminal. There are several commands available for this purpose.
Display Linux version: How it works via the terminal
The Linux terminal helps you find the version of the operating system installed on your system. You open it with your keyboard using the key combination (Ctrl)+(Alt)+(T).
- Open the terminal and type the command cat /etc/*release The asterisk lists all the distributions you have installed. So don't be surprised if you see several files with the extension “release”.
- In the terminal, hold down after the point Version Look out. This indicates the current version number.
- Under PRETTY_NAME= however, you will find the currently used distribution including the version number. This is usually the safest version display.
- Alternatively, you can use the command cat /etc/os-release which performs the same function. If you want to display only the current version and distribution, use one of the following commands: cat /etc/issue or lsb_release -d.
- Notice: Don't be alarmed if lines or names appear twice. The content of the files with version information is not standardized. The content of the files in question may look slightly different on each distribution.
Alternative: Display Linux version via hardinfo
If you prefer a GUI instead of the terminal, simply install hardinfoThe package shows you the system information in a clear window, just like in Windows or macOS.
- First download the package from the official Github download page. The current version is called hardinfo2.
- You can then download hardinfo via a Package manager of your choice. The program can then be used on your system.
- You can find it under the name System Information and Benchmark. Open it and navigate to the tab Computer and Summary.
- There you will find the point Operating systemBelow you will see the current distribution and version.
Also interesting:
- Linux Mint: View version – how to do it
- Ubuntu: Show version – how to do it
- Linux: Do I have 32 or 64 bit? How to find out