How to Check Your Ubuntu Version?

Ubuntu is a Linux-based operating system, which is free and open-source and can be used by people from all over the world. It has already released many versions, is customizable and user-friendly but has its limitation too. You would require to check the Ubuntu version you are using to understand if it is compatible with additional software. 

Since Ubuntu releases new versions every six months, you should check which version is currently running on your machine. It will help you in finding the right installation guide as well as in troubleshooting the issues easily. 

In this how-to guide, we will share how you can check the Ubuntu version operating on your machine. 

What are the prerequisites to check the Ubuntu Version? 

1. A system with Ubuntu running and installed on it 
2. User account access with sudo or root privileges
3. A terminal window/command line (Ctrl–Alt–T)

How to check your Ubuntu Version via Command line? 

The most popular and easiest way to check the Ubuntu version running on your machine is through a command line. The steps are easy. You just need to be careful while giving the command. 

1. Check the Ubuntu version using the lsb_release command. 

Below we are listing some easy-to-follow steps for the lsb_release that you can use to check the Ubuntu version. 

1. Go to the terminal. Use the command Ctrl+Alt+T. 
2. Type lsb_release -a and press enter. The output will appear with the description listed on it, which is your current Ubuntu version. 
3. To check only the description line, you can also use the command lsb_release -d

Note– Avoid this method if you are using Ubuntu on a docker image.

1. Check the Ubuntu version using the cat /etc/lsb_release command. 

You can also use the Ubuntu version running on your system using cat /etc/lsb-release Command.

This command works best on systems with outdated versions of Ubuntu running on it. So, if you are also using an older version, you can use this command. 

Type the command- cat /etc/lsb-release and hit enter. Below you will find the Ubuntu version mentioned in the line of description. 

There are various other commands that you can use to find your Ubuntu version. 

Below we are listing some commands that you can use to find out the versions installed: 

1. cat /etc/*release Command

2. hostnamectl Command

3. cat /etc/issue Command

Using all these commands will help you find out the version. 

1. Check the Ubuntu version with the screenfetch command. 

It is a bash script that you can use to find your OS information. These are the steps that you can follow to find the version.

• Install screenfetch through the apt package manager.

sudo apt install screenfetch 

• Pop-up will appear for confirmation. Press on the yes button. 
• Once the installation completes, run the command- screenfetch to get the results. 

1. Check the Ubuntu version through the neofetch command. 

An upgraded and modern version of screenfetch, neofetch is also a bash script that allows you to find out the OS information. 

• Install neofetch through the apt package manager. 

sudo apt install neofetch

• Run the command- neofetch 
• The OS section will provide you with the results with the Ubuntu version displayed on it. 

Conclusion 

Now that you know several methods to check the Ubuntu version, use any of them that seems most convenient to you. Knowing about your Ubuntu version can benefit you in a lot many ways than you can imagine.