Knowing which version of Ubuntu you are currently running is essential when installing software or troubleshooting system issues. Fortunately, you can quickly check your Ubuntu version using a simple terminal command called the lsb_release utility. This command displays LSB (Linux Standard Base) information about your Linux distribution.
Check Ubuntu Version Using lsb_release -a
Open your terminal window and type the following command:
lsb_release -a
You will get an output that looks similar to this:
No LSB modules are available. Distributor ID: Ubuntu Description: Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS Release: 20.04 Codename: focal
The version of your Ubuntu operating system is clearly shown in the Description and Release lines.
Check Only the Ubuntu Version Description
If you don’t need all the extra information and just want to see the version string, you can use the following command instead:
lsb_release -d
This will output a single line with your Ubuntu version:
Description: Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS
Using the command line makes it incredibly easy to find out your exact Ubuntu version in seconds.
