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12.23.09 How To Find Which Version Of Linux Your Are Currently Running  By
Dave Taylor
I have a Virtual Private Server or a dedicated server running Linux, but I'm not sure which version of Linux (Fedora, CentOS, Debian, etc.) the server is running. How do I find out? Dave's Answer: Your hosting provider, of course, should have told you what version of Linux you were using when they first set up the dedicated server or the Virtual Private Server for you. But if you don't remember, it's surprisingly non-intuitive to try and figure out which version of Linux your machine is running. Unlike Windows or other operating systems that display the name of the operating system when you first sign on to the computer (Windows XP Home, Windows XP Pro, Windows Vista, Windows 7, etc.), a remote connection to a Linux machine won't automatically tell you what type of Linux you are using. For the purposes of this article I'm assuming that you're connected to your Virtual Private Server or your dedicated server via a shell connection, one that lets you type commands and view the output. (This would normally be a telnet connection, or, more safely, a "secure shell" or SSH connection.) When you initially use SSH to open a connection to your server, you might see a greeting like this:
 But, you can find out what version of Linux your server is running, by executing this command: cat /etc/*release* In Linuxese, this means, "Show me the contents of all files in the "/etc/" directory that have the string "release" somewhere in their names." If you type that command, you should get output something like this: Continue reading this article. About the Author: Dave Taylor is known as an expert on both business and technology issues. Holder of an MSEd and MBA, author of twenty books and founder of four startups, he also runs a marketing company and consults with firms seeking the best approach to working with weblogs and social networks. Dave is an award-winning speaker and frequent guest on radio and podcast programs. AskDaveTaylor.com http://www.intuitive.com/blog/ |
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