What Version of Ubuntu Do I Have?

It’s actually very important to know

You can check what version of Ubuntu you have using several methods, and each has its benefits. Some give you the major version; others give you all the little details.

Why Should You Find Your Version of Ubuntu?

You know you’ve got Ubuntu. Why does the version matter?

What Are the Versions of Ubuntu?

Windows and macOS are straightforward when it comes to versions. Many PCs are either Windows 11 or Windows 10. MacOS’ most recent versions are Monterey,Big Sur, and Catalina.

Ubuntu version numbers are based on the year and month of release. Ubuntu releases also come with code names made of two alliterative words. It’s an adjective and an animal name, so the result is a name like Bionic Beaver. For example, the latest standard Ubuntu release is 21.10 Impish Indri. (An indri is a large species of lemur.)

If that wasn’t confusing enough, there are two current versions at any time. There are the interim release and long-term service (LTS) versions. Support for the interim Ubuntu release is 9-months from release. The LTS version is used where the stability of the instance is critical. It gets five years of standard support and can have another five years under the Extended Security Maintenance (ESM). ESM is free for personal use and is a paid subscription for enterprises.

Canonical Ltd. builds Ubuntu on the open-sourceLinux kernel, so the Linux kernel version can be important to know. A current Linux kernel version number may look like5.15. The first number is the major release version, and the remaining numbers are the minor release.

Put them all together, and you could get an Ubuntu version like22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish, Linux kernel 5.15.

How to Find The Version of Ubuntu in the Windows Linux Subsystem

Yes, you can run Ubuntu within Windows with Microsoft’sWindows Linux Subsystem(WSL).

Already opened Ubuntu WSL, and that line is gone? Check the section below on finding the Ubuntu version through the command line. They also work in WSL.

How to Find theVersion of Ubuntuin the Command Line

If you regularly use terms like “Linux distro” or “bash,” the command line interface is for you.

For the shortest result, use the commandlsb_release -d. The lsb_release command reveals the Linux Standard Base (lsb) information for any Linux distribution.

Using the -a gives complete information about Ubuntu, includingDistributor ID,Description,Release, andCodename. Oddly, Codename doesn’t reveal the full codename, which is Jammy Jellyfish in the version shown below.

The hostnamectl utility changes or returns information about the host orhostname. Using it without any options only returns the hostname info. Look for theOperating Systemline to get the Ubuntu version and theKernelline for the Linux kernel version.

The concatenate (cat) command is usually used to join files together. When used without any options and just the filepath/filename (etc/issue), it displays the contents of theissuefile. Ignore the\n \l. It’s not important in this context.

Just like the command above, this shows the contents of theos-releasefile. Note theVersionline, which shows the entire codename.

To see just the Linux core version, use the commanduname -r. Theunameutility gives information about the system but not about Ubuntu itself.

How to Find the Version of Ubuntu Using Neofetch

Neofetch is a bash app that displays system information creatively with ASCII art.

Once the neofetch package has been found, enterYto begin the installation.

To install a similar utility called Superfetch (not to be confused withWindows Superfetch), follow the same procedure above, substitutingsuperfetchwhere you used neofetch. Each returns slightly different information, so pick the one with the information you’ll need most often.

How to Find the Version of Ubuntu Using the GUI

Maybe getting into the terminal and working with bash and the command line is more than you want to do.

Now You Know Your Ubuntu

With ten ways to find the Ubuntu version, many of them providing other system information, you’llknow Ubuntu better. You’ll be able to decide what updates you need, find apps that’ll work on it, and know when it’s time toupgrade to the newest version of Ubuntu.

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