How To Check The Ubuntu Version Using Command Line

It’s important to know your Ubuntu version for a variety of reasons. Luckily, doing so from the command line is easy and if you’re using the desktop version, you can also check it using the GUI.

This article will also explain Ubuntu’s versioning system, and how it’s important for you to know Canonical’s long-term support schedule so you always receive the important updates.

Finally, the last section talks about Ubuntu’s kernel, and why it’s important to know the kernel version in addition to the regular OS version.

Checking The Ubuntu Version Using The Command-Line

To check which version of Ubuntu you’re using, open the command line and type the following:

lsb_release -a

This will give you the following output:

In the above screenshot, here’s what we see for my test Ubuntu distribution:

No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS
Release: 22.04
Codename: jammy

The Distributor ID is self-explanatory. The “Description” field has two parts.

First, the version number of Ubuntu in the screenshot is “22.04”. This is the same number as in the “Release” field. “LTS” in the description field means “Long Term Release”, which is a designation that Canonical gives to certain releases that they commit to supporting for a long time. More on that later.

The “Codename” is a catchy phrase made up of two words, even though the “lsb_release” command only shows one. These two words start with the same letter and consist of an adjective and an animal species. In the above example, Ubuntu version 22.04’s codename is “Jammy Jellyfish”.

Here’s another command that gets the full Ubuntu codename on a single line:

bash <(cat /etc/os-release; echo 'echo ${VERSION/*, /}')

As you can see above, the codename of version 22.04 is “Jammy Jellyfish”.

Why It’s Important to Know The Ubuntu Version

There are many reasons why it’s important to know which Ubuntu version you’re running on your VPS. Here are some of them.

#1. Check Compatibility

Every package that you use with Ubuntu is compatible with a range of versions. Most of the time, you don’t need to worry as the common packages in Linux support a wide variety of common packages. But sometimes a package might need a specific library or a specific version of a library that’s only available with a later release.

It can go the other way too. Some packages only work with older versions of Ubuntu, and if you can’t find a replacement for that software, then you want to keep using an older version until you can either find an adequate replacement or wait for the software developer to release one that works with newer versions.

#2. Keep Getting Security Updates

Each version of Ubuntu receives security updates up until a certain date. For security-critical applications, it’s important to know when these updates will cease. Canonical lets us know in advance what this date is. For example, in our screenshot, the Ubuntu version of 22.04 will continue to receive security updates for the next ten years with the subscription, and five years otherwise. These updates are free for personal use.

#3. Comply with System Requirements

Ubuntu – like all Linux distributions – is very forgiving in its system requirements, but it does have them. Unsurprisingly, the later versions of Ubuntu have higher system requirements, which means that you need to know what version you’re running if you think your VPS’s specifications are on the lower end. This is particularly relevant if you have an older VPS server and are thinking of upgrading your OS.

You can consult the Canonical website to get the system requirement. For example, here are the minimum system specs for version 22.04.

#4. Troubleshooting

Every version of Ubuntu has its own quirks that are usually well-documented by the community. So when something goes wrong, and you take to the forums to ask questions, the first question someone will ask you is – what’s your Ubuntu version number?

In fact, this is one advantage of running an older distribution, since people have already explored its bugs and quirks, and this will significantly cut down on your troubleshooting time. With a new version, you’re one of the guinea pigs, and while it can be fun to be on the forefront of a new OS version, it’s not something you want to inflict on your business.

#5. Planning For Upgrades

If you’re planning to run your enterprise on Ubuntu, then you should plan ahead of how long you want to run a particular server on a specific Ubuntu version.

How Ubuntu LTS Releases Work

Canonical releases new versions of Ubuntu every six months. However, for businesses, they release what are called “LTS” – Long Term Support – versions that Canonical guarantees will be updated for up to 10 years with a subscription, and five years for free. This means that if you’re unwilling to pay for a subscription, you can get at least three years of free updates at any given time, and if you’re lucky, you can get up to 5-years.

Here’s a link to Ubuntu’s release policy. Here, you can see which versions of Ubuntu are LTS and which ones are not. If you’re thinking of running an Ubuntu server for your business, then you must choose an LTS version and not one of the six-month releases. In addition to updates, Canonical also tests these versions far more stringently compared to ordinary releases.

So look up the latest LTS version, and if you find that a later version will drop soon, it might make sense to hold off until you can install the more recent LTS so that you get the full benefit of the five years of support. Or you could just pay for a subscription and get 8 to 10 years or support.

Ubuntu Kernel Versions

Sometimes, you may refer to the kernel version of Ubuntu, as opposed to the release version. This isn’t what “Ubuntu version” means. The kernel is a separate component entirely.

Ubuntu uses the Linux kernel, which is common to other Linux server operating systems like Fedora, Debian, and CentOS. Individuals and companies from all over the world contribute to the Linux kernel, including corporations like IBM, Red Hat, Microsoft, and Intel. So while Canonical has the responsibility for the release version of Ubuntu, they don’t have the same responsibility for the kernel.

In fact, different Ubuntu systems that run the same release version can have different kernels. While some companies like Google use heavily modified versions of the Linux kernel for the Android OS, most of the time the kernel is the same for the well-known flavors of Linux.

You almost never need to deal with the kernel version. Most of the time, when someone refers to the “Ubuntu version”, it’s the one released by Canonical. It might be necessary to know the kernel version for the same reasons why you might need to know the Ubuntu version, but this is rare.

Conclusion

Checking the Ubuntu version is easy, and just requires access to the command line. If you’re considering a version of Ubuntu on which to run your business server, you should choose an LTS version to get the maximum level of support. With an Ubuntu Pro subscription, you can continue to get support for ten years!