How to Check Ubuntu Version Number?

Linux comes with a variety of distribution that targets a specific audience, but Ubuntu is one of the most popular. So, you must be running the latest Ubuntu version so that every program and application can be compatible.

So, we are here to guide you on how you can check the Ubuntu version number so that you can update it in case you are using the older version.

There are two main ways you can apply to check the Ubuntu version number, which is as follows:

Let’s get started!

Method 1: Check Ubuntu Version Via Graphical User Interface (GUI)

This method is ideal for beginners who are just started using the Ubuntu OS and are not aware of the terminal. You can check the Ubuntu version number by going into the settings, which will open the graphical interface, and there are multiple ways of doing this, as described below.

The first and the easiest way is by right-clicking anywhere on the desktop, which will offer a variety of choices for you from where you need to select the “display settings” option.

This will open all the system-related settings for you, and from there, you need to select the “About” tab that appears as the last option. Clicking on it will provide you with a variety of information where you need to see the “OS Name” to find the Ubuntu version number. While writing this article, the latest version of Ubuntu is 22.04.1 LTS which we are currently using.

Let’s get into another method.

Alternative Way to Open Settings

You can also do the same thing by clicking on the power button that you can find on the top right, as shown below.

Here, the same “Settings” window will appear, and the version will be available in the “About” section.

Now, let’s move towards the second method, which is completely different, where you need to run some commands using a terminal.

Method 2: Check Ubuntu Version Via Command Line Interface (CLI)

Terminal is another way of checking the ubuntu version number that you can access either by pressing the right click or by pressing “CTRL + ALT + T” from your key keyboard.

Method 2.1: Using lsb_release -a Command

Let’s start by explaining the first way of checking the Ubuntu version number by typing the following command.

$ lsb_release -a

Now, if you don’t want additional information and only want to know the Ubuntu version, then you can type the following command.

$ lsb_release -d

Method 2.2: Using the cat Command

You can also find all the distribution-related information using the below command.

$ cat etc/lsb-release

Another way of getting only the Ubuntu version number information is by typing.

$ cat /etc/issue

Method 2.3: Using the hostnamectl Command

This command is primarily used to change the hostname, but it will also give you additional information, one of which is the current Ubuntu version number.

$ hostnamectl

Method 3: Check Ubuntu Version Number via Terminal and GUI Combined

If you want to follow the first method, then there is one more way to open the settings directly from the terminal by typing.

$ gnome-control-center

After that, you must follow the same first method again to find the Ubuntu version number.

That’s all from this guide!

Conclusion

The Ubuntu version can be checked from the GUI and CLI support. Ubuntu is one of the most well-known Linux distributions among others, but you need to make sure that you are using the latest version. In this article, we have explained two methods you can utilize to check the Ubuntu Linux version number.