How to check Ubuntu version
Are you an avid Ubuntu Linux user trying to figure out what version of the operating system you are using? If so, this guide is for you. Follow along as we demonstrate ways to check the Ubuntu version!
Check Ubuntu version – Ubuntu system info area
If you’re using the default Ubuntu desktop environment (Gnome Shell 3), the best way to check your Ubuntu version is with the built-in Ubuntu System Info application. To access the Ubuntu system info area on your PC, start by pressing the Win key on the keyboard.
When you press the Win key on your keyboard, the Ubuntu desktop will go from “Desktop” mode to “Overview” mode. In this “Overview” mode, you will see all open windows, your favorites bar on the left, and a search box.
Click on the search box with the mouse. Then, type in “About” in the search. After typing out “About,” the Ubuntu desktop should return some search results. Under the “Settings” area of the search results, you should see “About View information about your system.”
Click on “About View information about your system” with the mouse. Doing this will open up Ubuntu’s system info area. In here, there is a lot of information. To check the Ubuntu version, find “OS Name.”
In the “OS Name” section, the version of Ubuntu will be printed. In this example, the version of Ubuntu is Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS. Yours will differ, depending on how often you upgrade your Ubuntu PC.
Save info for later
Do you want to save the Ubuntu version information from the Ubuntu system info area? Do the following.
Step 1: Locate the PRNT SC button on the keyboard (it may also say PRNT SCRN or some other variation) and press it to take a screenshot of the Ubuntu system info area.
Step 2: After capturing a screenshot of your Ubuntu version, the Ubuntu screenshot tool will ask you to save the image. Select where to save your image using the UI to save your Ubuntu version info for later.
Check Ubuntu version – Neofetch
While the Ubuntu system info is pretty great, it’s only available on the Gnome version of Ubuntu. If you’re using an alternative flavor of Ubuntu such as Mate, KDE, XFCE, or others, you’ll need another option.
The best alternative to the Ubuntu system information area in Gnome is Neofetch. Neofetch is a command-line system information utility that can tell users tons of detailed information, including the Ubuntu version.
However, before we can go over how to use Neofetch to check the Ubuntu version, we must go over how to install the program. The reason? Neofetch doesn’t come pre-installed on any mainstream Linux operating system.
To install Neofetch on your Linux PC, start out by opening up a terminal window. Once the terminal window is open, follow along with the command-line installation instructions below.
Ubuntu
sudo apt install neofetch
Debian
sudo apt-get install neofetch
Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S neofetch
Fedora
sudo zypper install neofetch
OpenSUSE
sudo zypper install neofetch
After installing the Neofetch app, return to the terminal window. Once in the terminal window, execute the neofetch command. When the command is completed, you will see an ASCII output in the terminal window.
neofetch
Inside the ASCII output, there is a lot of system information available for viewing. Look to the top line of the Neofetch ASCII output for “OS.” In this “OS” area, you will see the Ubuntu version.
Want to save your Neofetch output to a text file for later viewing? Pipe it to a text file by using the command below.
neofetch > ~/neofetch-output.txt
To view the Neofetch text file, make use of the cat command in a terminal window.
cat ~/neofetch-output.txt
Check Ubuntu version – Hardinfo
A third way you can find out your Ubuntu version is with the Hardinfo tool. Hardinfo shows many detailed system information such as RAM usage, network info, and much more. It can also show your exact Ubuntu version. Here’s how.
First, ensure you have the Hardinfo app installed on your Linux PC. To install it, open up a terminal window and execute the commands below that correspond with the Linux OS you currently use.
Ubuntu
sudo apt install hardinfo
Debian
sudo apt-get install hardinfo
Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S hardinfo
Fedora
sudo dnf install hardinfo
OpenSUSE
sudo zypper install hardinfo
With Hardinfo installed, launch it by searching for “System Profiler and Benchmark” in your app menu. Or via hardinfo in the terminal.
Inside the Hardinfo application, find the “Computer” tab on the left in the list and click on it. When you select this button, you will see a summary of your computer, including your Ubuntu version in the “Operating System” area.
Want more information about your Ubuntu PC. In the Hardinfo app, click on the “Operating System” button under “Computer.” You’ll be able to see even more detailed info, including kernel versions, etc.
