How To Check Linux 32 or 64-Bit Command Line

Here are the three commands to check Ubuntu version in terminal. Users can easily check Ubuntu version – is it 32 or 64 Bit?

Ubuntu users can check Ubuntu Version using the lsb_release command, check Ubuntu Version using the cat command and check Ubuntu Version using the hostnamectl command.

If you’re an Ubuntu user, it’s important to know which version of the operating system you’re running.

Checking the Ubuntu version in the terminal is a straightforward process. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the different commands you can use to quickly check your Ubuntu version.

Checking Ubuntu Version Using the lsb_release Command

One of the most common ways to check the Ubuntu version is by using the lsb_release command. This command is part of the “Linux Standard Base” (LSB) project, which provides a set of standards and tools for Linux distributions.

To use the lsb_release command, simply open your terminal and type the following:

lsb_release -a

This will display the following information:

• Distributor ID: The name of the Linux distribution you’re using (in this case, Ubuntu)
• Description: The full name and version of the Ubuntu distribution
• Release: The specific version number of Ubuntu
• Codename: The code name associated with the Ubuntu release

For example, the output might look something like this:

Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS
Release: 20.04
Codename: focal

This tells us that the user is running Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS, which is the “focal” release.

Checking Ubuntu Version Using the cat Command

Another way to check the Ubuntu version is by using the cat command to view the contents of the /etc/os-release file. This file contains information about the operating system, including the version.

To use this method, open your terminal and type the following:

cat /etc/os-release

This will display the contents of the /etc/os-release file, which should include the following information:

• NAME: The name of the Linux distribution (Ubuntu)
• VERSION: The version number of the Ubuntu distribution
• ID: The distribution ID (ubuntu)
• ID_LIKE: The distribution(s) that this distribution is based on (debian)
• PRETTY_NAME: The full name of the distribution
• VERSION_ID: The specific version number of the distribution
• HOME_URL: The URL of the distribution’s website
• SUPPORT_URL: The URL for support information
• BUG_REPORT_URL: The URL for reporting bugs

For example, the output might look something like this:

NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION="20.04.3 LTS (Focal Fossa)"
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS"
VERSION_ID="20.04"
HOME_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://help.ubuntu.com/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/"
PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/privacy-policy"
VERSION_CODENAME=focal
UBUNTU_CODENAME=focal

This tells us that the user is running Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS, which is the “focal” release.

Checking Ubuntu Version Using the hostnamectl Command

Another command you can use to check the Ubuntu version is hostnamectl. This command is part of the systemd suite of tools, and it provides information about the system’s hostname, operating system, and other details.

To use the hostnamectl command, open your terminal and type the following:

hostnamectl

This will display a variety of information about your system, including the Ubuntu version. Look for the “Operating System” field, which should show the version of Ubuntu you’re running.

For example, the output might look something like this:

   Static hostname: ubuntu
         Icon name: computer-vm
           Chassis: vm
        Machine ID: 5c3a1234567890abcdef1234567890ab
           Boot ID: 1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef
    Virtualization: kvm
  Operating System: Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS
            Kernel: Linux 5.4.0-89-generic
      Architecture: x86-64

This tells us that the user is running Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS.

Whether you use the lsb_release, cat, or hostnamectl command, you’ll be able to get the information you need to keep your Ubuntu system up-to-date and running smoothly.