Linux lsb_release command
The lsb_release command displays LSB (Linux Standard Base) information about your specific Linux distribution, including version number, release codename, and distributor ID.
Syntax
lsb_release [OPTIONS]
Options
As with other GNU software, lsb_release uses a single dash (-) for short options, and two dashes (--) for long options.
| -v, --version | Show the version of the Linux Standard Base your system is compliant with. The version is displayed as a colon-separated list of LSB module descriptions. |
| -i, --id | Display the ID of your Linux distributor. For instance, if you are running Debian, this option displays Distributor ID: Debian |
| -d, --description |
Display a description of your Linux distribution. For instance, if you are running CentOS 7, this displays something like Description: CentOS Linux release 7.3.1611 (Core) |
| -r, --release | Display the release number of the current operating system. For instance, if you are running Fedora 25, this outputs Release: 25 |
| -c, --codename |
Display the codename of the current operating system. For instance, if you are running Ubuntu 16.04, this displays Codename: xenial |
| -a, --all | Display all the information above. For instance, if you are running Arch Linux, this displays LSB Version: 1.4 Distributor ID: Arch Description: Arch Linux Release: rolling Codename: n/a |
| -s, --short | Use the "short" output format, which omits headers. You can use this in combination with another option. For instance, if you are running Fedora 25, the command lsb_release -rs displays: 25 |
| -h, --help | Display a help message which summarizes these options. |
Installing LSB Core
lsb_release is part of a software package called the LSB core, which is not necessarily installed on your system by default.
To install it, run the command below that corresponds to your specific system:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install lsb-core
sudo yum update && sudo yum install redhat-lsb-core
sudo dnf update && sudo dnf install redhat-lsb-core
sudo zypper update && sudo zypper install lsb-core
pacman -Syu lsb-release
Other distributions
If your Linux distribution is not listed here, consult your package manager's repository for the package containing |lsb-core| and/or |lsb_release|.
Examples
lsb_release -a
Display all LSB information specific to your Linux distribution. Output resembles the following:
LSB Version: core-5.0-amd64:core-5.0-noarch
Distributor ID: openSUSE project
Description: openSUSE Leap 42.2
Release: 42.2
Codename: n/a
If you receive a "No LSB modules are available" or similar message, you need to install the LSB core software first. See section Installing LSB Core above for more information.
Related commands
uname — Print information about the current system and its kernel.