A Quick and Easy Way to Find Out What OS Your Raspberry Pi is Running

Learn how to check which operating system your Raspberry Pi is running, whether it’s Raspbian, Ubuntu, or something else. This guide will show you the commands needed to find out in a few simple steps …


Updated August 24, 2023

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Learn how to check which operating system your Raspberry Pi is running, whether it’s Raspbian, Ubuntu, or something else. This guide will show you the commands needed to find out in a few simple steps.

  1. Connect to your Raspberry Pi via SSH or open a terminal window if you’re using the device locally.
  2. Type lsb_release -a into the command prompt and press Enter. This command will display information about your operating system, including its name and version.
  3. Look for the line that starts with “Description:”. It should read something like “Description: Raspbian GNU/Linux 9.4 (stretch)” or “Description: Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS”. This tells you which OS is currently installed on your Raspberry Pi.

Alternatively, you can use the uname command to get more detailed information about the kernel and hardware of your device:

  1. Connect to your Raspberry Pi via SSH or open a terminal window if you’re using the device locally.
  2. Type uname -a into the command prompt and press Enter. This command will display information about your operating system, including its name and version, as well as details about the kernel and hardware architecture.
  3. Look for the output that starts with “Linux”. For example: “Linux raspberrypi 4.19.66-v7+ #1253 SMP Thu Aug 15 11:49:46 BST 2019 armv7l GNU/Linux”. This tells you that the Raspberry Pi is running a version of Linux, specifically the “armv7l” architecture.

If you’re new to using the command line or aren’t sure what these commands are doing, don’t worry! lsb_release and uname are standard commands used in Linux-based operating systems like Raspbian and Ubuntu to get information about the system.

By checking your Raspberry Pi’s OS using these commands, you can make sure that you’re working with the correct documentation and troubleshoot any issues more effectively. Happy hacking!