How to check your Ubuntu version from the command line - Rocketeers app [ Rocketeers ](/) [Login](https://rocketeersapp.com/login) On this page Knowledge --------- How to check your Ubuntu version from the command line ====================================================== ### [\#CommandLine](https://rocketeersapp.com/knowledge/command-line) A quick guide to checking which Ubuntu release and kernel you're running, using lsb\_release, /etc/os-release, hostnamectl and uname. Published by [Mark van Eijk](https://rocketeersapp.com/author/mark-van-eijk) on June 23, 2026 · 1 minute read 1. [Why you need to know your Ubuntu version](#content-why-you-need-to-know-your-ubuntu-version) 2. [The quickest answer: lsb\_release](#content-the-quickest-answer-lsbrelease) 3. [Reading /etc/os-release](#content-reading-etcos-release) 4. [The old-school /etc/issue](#content-the-old-school-etcissue) 5. [A richer view with hostnamectl](#content-a-richer-view-with-hostnamectl) 6. [Checking the kernel version](#content-checking-the-kernel-version) 7. [Which one should you use?](#content-which-one-should-you-use) [\#](#content-why-you-need-to-know-your-ubuntu-version "Permalink")Why you need to know your Ubuntu version ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before I install a package, follow a tutorial, or open a support ticket, I want to know exactly which Ubuntu release I'm on. The version decides which package versions are available, which docs apply, and whether a release is still getting security updates. Here are the commands I reach for. [\#](#content-the-quickest-answer-lsbrelease "Permalink")The quickest answer: lsb\_release ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ My go-to is `lsb_release`, which prints the distributor info in a clean format: ``` lsb_release -a ``` The `-a` flag means "all". You'll get the distributor ID, a description like `Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS`, the release number (`24.04`), and the codename (`noble`). If you only want the number, use `-r`, and `-c` gives just the codename: ``` lsb_release -r lsb_release -c ``` [\#](#content-reading-etcos-release "Permalink")Reading /etc/os-release ----------------------------------------------------------------------- `lsb_release` isn't installed on every minimal image, but `/etc/os-release` always is. It's a plain file you can just print: ``` cat /etc/os-release ``` This shows `VERSION_ID`, `VERSION_CODENAME`, and `PRETTY_NAME`. Because it's structured as shell variables, scripts can source it directly, which makes it handy in automation. [\#](#content-the-old-school-etcissue "Permalink")The old-school /etc/issue --------------------------------------------------------------------------- For a fast glance, `/etc/issue` holds the text shown before login: ``` cat /etc/issue ``` It prints something like `Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS \n \l`. The `\n` and `\l` are placeholders the login prompt fills in, so just ignore them. [\#](#content-a-richer-view-with-hostnamectl "Permalink")A richer view with hostnamectl --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- `hostnamectl` gives the OS plus the hostname, architecture, and kernel in one go: ``` hostnamectl ``` I like this one on servers because the "Operating System" and "Kernel" lines tell me almost everything at a glance. [\#](#content-checking-the-kernel-version "Permalink")Checking the kernel version --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Ubuntu release and the kernel are separate things. To see the running kernel, use `uname`: ``` uname -r ``` The `-r` flag prints just the kernel release, like `6.8.0-52-generic`. Want the full picture, including architecture and build date? Use `-a`: ``` uname -a ``` [\#](#content-which-one-should-you-use "Permalink")Which one should you use? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- For everyday use, `lsb_release -a` is the friendliest. On a stripped-down container or cloud image where it's missing, fall back to `cat /etc/os-release`. And when you're chasing a driver or hardware issue, `uname -r` is the kernel detail that actually matters. Once you know your version, you'll likely want to [update Ubuntu from the command line](/update-ubuntu-command-line) to pull in the latest security patches. ### Subscribe to our newsletter Do you want to receive regular updates with fresh and exclusive content to learn more about web development, hosting, security and performance? Subscribe now! 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