Re: How to display the linux distribution name?

From: Moe Trin (ibuprofin_at_painkiller.example.tld)
Date: 09/01/05

  • Next message: Moe Trin: "Re: How to display the linux distribution name?" 
    Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 19:28:33 -0500

    In the Usenet newsgroup comp.os.linux.misc, in article
    <slrndh9dcb.j98.raskall@mail.ronningveien.net>, Rolf Arne Schulze wrote:

    >I think I have found the distribution name in /etc/issue on most of
    >the linux distros I have tried. I can't say if it is there on all of
    >them, though.

    As Michael mentions, that is entirely up to the administrator. An
    example of how this file is created (true for most distributions) is
    the mess in rc.local on Red Hat and derived systems.

        R=$(cat /etc/redhat-release)
        arch=$(uname -m)
        a="a"
        case "_$arch" in
                _a*) a="an";;
                _i*) a="an";;
        esac
        # This will overwrite /etc/issue at every boot. So, make any changes you
        # want to make to /etc/issue here or you will lose them when you reboot.
        echo "" > /etc/issue
        echo "$R" >> /etc/issue
        echo "Kernel $(uname -r) on $a $(uname -m)" >> /etc/issue

        cp -f /etc/issue /etc/issue.net
        echo >> /etc/issue

    This is usually part of an 'if' statement that checks for the presence of
    the /etc/<mumble>-release. If your admin has not changed this file, this
    snippet of code runs every boot. Many admins do alter this, so that the
    /etc/issue* files contain appropriate local data, SUCH AS legal warnings,
    or some lame local advertisement. But then;

    [compton ~]$ cat /etc/issue
    Red Hat Linux release 3.0.3 (Picasso)
    Kernel 1.2.13 on an i8031
    [compton ~]$

    if you believe that... ;-)

            Old guy

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