This article was co-authored by How.com.vn staff writer, Travis Boylls. Travis Boylls is a Technology Writer and Editor for How.com.vn. Travis has experience writing technology-related articles, providing software customer service, and in graphic design. He specializes in Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux platforms. He studied graphic design at Pikes Peak Community College.
The How.com.vn Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work.
This article has been viewed 5,275 times.
Are you using a Linux computer? Are you not sure which version of Linux you are using? There are many different Linux distributions that function very differently. Some distributions have a different desktop environment with different features. Sometimes you may need to figure out which desktop environment you are using. Additionally, the Linux kernel, which is the core component of all Linux distributions gets updated frequently. This How.com.vn article teaches you how to check which version of Linux you are using as well as which Linux distribution you are using.
Steps
Using the Terminal
- Type cat /etc/*-release and press ↵ Enter. This shows you which Linux distribution you are using. You can see which Linux distribution you are using next to "NAME=" or "ID=" near the top of the list. You can check which distribution version you are using next to "VERSION_ID=".
- Alternatively, you can type lsb_release -a and press Enter. It will say which Linux distribution you are using next to "Distributor ID" and it will say which version of the Linux distribution you are using next to "Release."
- Type echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP and press ↵ Enter. This prints out your current desktop environment (i.e. "ubuntu:GNOME").
- Type uname -mrs and press ↵ Enter. This displays which version of the Linux kernel you are using as well as what architecture you are using. It will say what version of the Linux kernel you are using after "Linux" at the beginning of the output return. It says what architecture you are using at the end of the output return. If it says "x86-32" or just "x86," you are using a 32-bit system. If it says "x86-64" or "x64," you are using a 64-bit system.[1]Advertisement
Checking your Linux Distribution in the Settings Menu
- Open the Settings menu. On most Linux distributions, it has an icon that resembles a gear or a set of slider bars. Locate the Settings app in the Apps menu and click the icon to open the Settings menu.
- Alternatively, you can open the Settings menu from the Power menu on most Linux distributions.
- Click About. On most Linux distributions, it should be near the bottom of the navigation menu to the left of the Settings menu. This displays information about your operating system and Linux distribution.
- On some Linux distributions, this may say "Details" or something similar.
- Check your Linux distribution next to "OS Name." On some Linux distributions, this may be list as "Distribution" or similar. It will say what Linux distribution you are using as well as what version of that distribution you are using (i.e. Ubuntu 20.04.3, Fedora Linux 35, etc).
- Check your architecture next to "OS Type." On some distributions, this may be listed as "Architecture" or something similar. This tells you if you are running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Linux.[2]
- Check your desktop environment. Your desktop environment should be listed in the About menu. Where it is listed may be different depending on which desktop environment you are using. On Ubuntu, it is listed below "OS Type" (i.e. GNOME). It should also display which version of your desktop environment you are using.Advertisement
Expert Q&A
References
Is this article up to date?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.