/etc/release equivalents for sundry Linux (and other Unix) distributions

These are useful in cross-platform scripts.

Annvix: /etc/annvix-release
Arch Linux: /etc/arch-release
Arklinux: /etc/arklinux-release
Aurox Linux: /etc/aurox-release
BlackCat: /etc/blackcat-release
Cobalt: /etc/cobalt-release
Conectiva: /etc/conectiva-release
Debian: /etc/debian_version, /etc/debian_release (rare)
Fedora Core: /etc/fedora-release
Gentoo Linux: /etc/gentoo-release
Immunix: /etc/immunix-release
Knoppix: knoppix_version
Linux-From-Scratch: /etc/lfs-release
Linux-PPC: /etc/linuxppc-release
Mandrake: /etc/mandrake-release
Mandriva/Mandrake Linux: /etc/mandriva-release, /etc/mandrake-release, /etc/mandakelinux-release
MkLinux: /etc/mklinux-release
Novell Linux Desktop: /etc/nld-release
PLD Linux: /etc/pld-release
Red Hat: /etc/redhat-release, /etc/redhat_version (rare)
Slackware: /etc/slackware-version, /etc/slackware-release (rare)
SME Server (Formerly E-Smith): /etc/e-smith-release
Solaris SPARC: /etc/release
Sun JDS: /etc/sun-release
SUSE Linux: /etc/SuSE-release, /etc/novell-release
SUSE Linux ES9: /etc/sles-release
Tiny Sofa: /etc/tinysofa-release
TurboLinux: /etc/turbolinux-release
Ubuntu Linux: /etc/lsb-release
UltraPenguin: /etc/ultrapenguin-release
UnitedLinux: /etc/UnitedLinux-release (covers SUSE SLES8)
VA-Linux/RH-VALE: /etc/va-release
Yellow Dog: /etc/yellowdog-release

The command "echo /etc/*_ver* /etc/*-rel*; cat /etc/*_ver* /etc/*-rel*" should find any reasonably similar variants.

The /etc/issue and /etc/issue.net files are also often helpful.

Linux System Base-compliant systems should have a file called /etc/lsb_release, which may be in addition to a distribution-specific file.

Many non-Red Hat RPM-based distributions include /etc/redhat-release for compatibility.

Sample Script

Using system command "uname" and contents of the release files you can write scripts of programs to help your software to detect distribution.

#!/bin/sh
# Detects which OS and if it is Linux then it will detect which Linux
# Distribution.

OS=`uname -s`
REV=`uname -r`
MACH=`uname -m`

GetVersionFromFile()
{
	VERSION=`cat $1 | tr "\n" ' ' | sed s/.*VERSION.*=\ // `
}

if [ "${OS}" = "SunOS" ] ; then
	OS=Solaris
	ARCH=`uname -p`	
	OSSTR="${OS} ${REV}(${ARCH} `uname -v`)"
elif [ "${OS}" = "AIX" ] ; then
	OSSTR="${OS} `oslevel` (`oslevel -r`)"
elif [ "${OS}" = "Linux" ] ; then
	KERNEL=`uname -r`
	if [ -f /etc/redhat-release ] ; then
		DIST='RedHat'
		PSUEDONAME=`cat /etc/redhat-release | sed s/.*\(// | sed s/\)//`
		REV=`cat /etc/redhat-release | sed s/.*release\ // | sed s/\ .*//`
	elif [ -f /etc/SuSE-release ] ; then
		DIST=`cat /etc/SuSE-release | tr "\n" ' '| sed s/VERSION.*//`
		REV=`cat /etc/SuSE-release | tr "\n" ' ' | sed s/.*=\ //`
	elif [ -f /etc/mandrake-release ] ; then
		DIST='Mandrake'
		PSUEDONAME=`cat /etc/mandrake-release | sed s/.*\(// | sed s/\)//`
		REV=`cat /etc/mandrake-release | sed s/.*release\ // | sed s/\ .*//`
	elif [ -f /etc/debian_version ] ; then
		DIST="Debian `cat /etc/debian_version`"
		REV=""

	fi
	if [ -f /etc/UnitedLinux-release ] ; then
		DIST="${DIST}[`cat /etc/UnitedLinux-release | tr "\n" ' ' | sed s/VERSION.*//`]"
	fi
	
	OSSTR="${OS} ${DIST} ${REV}(${PSUEDONAME} ${KERNEL} ${MACH})"

fi

echo ${OSSTR}