How to discover what Linux distro is in use

Posted by Seiti on Stack Overflow See other posts from Stack Overflow or by Seiti
Published on 2008-11-05T03:41:39Z Indexed on 2010/06/17 10:33 UTC
Read the original article Hit count: 178

Filed under:

linux

|

operating-system

Sometimes I need to access some servers running Linux (or maybe another Unix-like SO), but I don't know how to verify which distro is in use on the server (there are times that even the "responsible" for the server doesn't know).

Is there a easy and reliable way to discover that, one that is uniform and consistent across all of them?

© Stack Overflow or respective owner

Related posts about linux

apt-get install and update fail

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I've got a problem with apt-get update and apt-get install ... commands . every time update or installing fails and errors are : Get:1 http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg [198B] Ign http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable/main Translation-en_US Get:2 http://dl… >>> More
kernel module compiling error

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
sh@ubuntu:/home/ccpp/helloworld$ make gcc-4.6 -O2 -DMODULE -D_KERNEL_ -W -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wmissing-prototypes -isystem /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/include -c -o hello-1.o hello-1.c hello-1.c:4:0: warning: "MODULE" redefined [enabled by default] <command-line>:0:0: note: this is… >>> More
Build-Essentials installation failing

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I am having trouble accessing the several critical header files that show to be a part of the build process. The "Ubuntu Software Center" shows "Build Essentials" as installed: Next I did the following two commands, which did not improve the problem: ~$ sudo apt-get install build-essential [sudo]… >>> More
Updating Debian kernel

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
I'm trying to update my Debian machine to 2.6.32-46 (which is the new stable). However, after doing apt-get update my apt-cache search linux-image shows me: linux-headers-2.6.32-5-486 - Header files for Linux 2.6.32-5-486 linux-headers-2.6.32-5-686-bigmem - Header files for Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem linux-headers-2… >>> More
Serial connection over a single USB cable (Windows to linux, or linux to linux)

as seen on Server Fault - Search for 'Server Fault'
I'm helping out with a project for an embedded device that only has USB and no serial. This device is running Linux. These days, when we need to connect to a serial port on a device we typically use a USB to serial adapter (on something like a phone system or a load balancing device, etc). I would… >>> More

Related posts about operating-system

When Do OS Questions Belong on Hardware Service Requests?

as seen on Oracle Blogs - Search for 'Oracle Blogs'
Untitled Document My Oracle Support—Logging an Operating System Service Request One of the concerns we hear from our customers with Premier Support for Systems is that they have difficulty logging a Service Request (SR) for an operating system issue. Because Premier… >>> More
How To Create Your Own x86 Operating System for Modern PC Computers

as seen on Stack Overflow - Search for 'Stack Overflow'
I'd like to create a new operating system for x86 PC computers. I'd like it to be 64-bit but possibly run as 32-bit as well. I have these kinds of questions: What kinds of things do you start working on first? Knowing where to start in writing your own operating system seems to me to be a tricky… >>> More
Get-QADComputer -LdapFilter & variables

as seen on Server Fault - Search for 'Server Fault'
Can I use a variable in and LdapFilter with Get-QADComputer? i.e.: $31DaysAgo = (Get-Date).AddDays(-31) $ft = $31DaysAgo.ToFileTime() $StComps = Get-QADComputer -SizeLimit 0 -IncludeAllProperties -SearchRoot ` 'DC=MY,DC=DOMAIN,DC=LOCAL' -LdapFilter '(&(objectcategory=computer) ` (pwdLastSet<=$ft)(|(operatingsystem=Windows… >>> More
Low-Impact Operating System Tracing

as seen on Google Code - Search for 'Google Code'
The Google Open Source Team has the privilege of funding some really great projects in the Open Source space. Mathieu Desnoyers, a student at Ecole Polytechnique, recently defended... >>> More
N. Korea develops operating system with Windows-like GUI, Linux guts

as seen on Internet.com - Search for 'Internet.com'
<b>IT World:</b> "The North Korean government appears to have developed its own graphical Linux-based "Red Star" operating system, though its people still prefer that symbol of Yankee high-tech imperialism, Microsoft Windows." >>> More