Ways to Check Debian Distribution Version
1. Using lsb_release Command#
The lsb_release command can be used to view the specific version of a Linux distribution operating system. It may not be installed on your operating system, so you need to install it first. Run the following command to install lsb_release:
apt-get install lsb-release
Once the installation is complete, simply enter the following command to view the version information of your current system:
lsb_release -a
You will see results similar to the following:
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Debian
Description: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)
Release: 11
Codename: bullseye
The above results indicate that the current operating system version being used is Debian 11.
2. Viewing the /etc/issue File#
The second method to check the current Debian version is to view the issue file located in the /etc directory. You can use the cat command to view the contents of the file by entering the following command:
cat /etc/issue
You will see results similar to the following:
Debian GNU/Linux 11 \n \l
3. Viewing the /etc/os-release File#
/etc/os-release is a file that contains operating system identification data and can only be found on the latest Debian release running systemd. You can also use the cat command to view the contents of this file by entering the following command:
cat /etc/os-release
You will see results similar to the following:
PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)"
NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
VERSION_ID="11"
VERSION="11 (bullseye)"
VERSION_CODENAME=bullseye
ID=debian
HOME_URL="https://www.debian.org/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://www.debian.org/support"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.debian.org/"
If you want to know the more specific minor version number, you can view the /etc/debian_version file by entering the following command:
cat /etc/debian_version
You will see results similar to the following:
11.4
4. Using the uname Command#
The uname command can display information about the computer and operating system. Enter the following command:
uname -a
You will see results similar to the following:
Linux baicai-l01 5.10.0-16-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 5.10.127-1 (2022-06-30) x86_64 GNU/Linux
5. Using the hostnamectl Command#
The hostnamectl command is used to configure or modify the system's hostname, but it can also be used to get the version of the Debian system. Simply enter hostnamectl:
hostnamectl
You will see results similar to the following:
Static hostname: baicai-l01
Icon name: computer-desktop
Chassis: desktop
Machine ID: xxx
Boot ID: xxx
Operating System: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)
Kernel: Linux 5.10.0-16-amd64
Architecture: x86-64