FSG

Section: FSG (1)
Updated: January 2021
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NAME

FSG - manual page for FSG lsb_release v2.0

SYNOPSIS

lsb_release [OPTION]...

DESCRIPTION

FSG lsb_release v2.0 prints certain LSB (Linux Standard Base) and Distribution information.

With no OPTION specified defaults to -v.

OPTIONS

-v, --version
: Display the version of the LSB specification against which the distribution is compliant.
-i, --id
: Display the string id of the distributor.
-d, --description
: Display the single line text description of the distribution.
-r, --release
: Display the release number of the distribution.
-c, --codename
: Display the codename according to the distribution release.
-a, --all
: Display all of the above information.
-s, --short
: Use short output format for information requested by other options (or version if none).
-h, --help
: Display this message.

FILES

If the installation is LSB compliant, the "/etc/lsb-release" file should contain the LSB_VERSION field. The value of the field should be a colon separated list of supported module versions indicating the LSB specification modules to which the installation is compliant. If the installation is not compliant, the above field should not be present.

Optional fields are DISTRIB_ID, DISTRIB_RELEASE, DISTRIB_CODENAME, DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION and can be used to override information which is parsed from the "/etc/distrib-release" file.

If the "/etc/lsb-release.d" directory exists, it is searched for filenames which are taken as additional module-version strings to add to LSB_VERSION.
The "/etc/distrib-release" file contains a description line which is parsed to get information (especially on currently non-LSB compliant systems).

The required line style is:
"Distributor release x.x (Codename)"

Where Distributor can be a couple of words, but then concatenated (i.e. Linux Foo BarLinux Linux -> FooBarLinux),
x.x starts with a digit followed by any non-blank characters, Codename will also be concatenated (blanks cleanup only).

release may not be used as a keyword in DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION if you don't want to override "/etc/distrib-release" data.

Notice: To support the Debian distributions' lack of information (see "/etc/debian_version" file) some have been directly added into the lsb_release script.

EXAMPLES

If the "/etc/lsb-release" file contains:

LSB_VERSION="core-2.0-ia64:core-2.0-noarch"
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="I enjoy using my distrib"

and the "/etc/lsb-release.d" directory contains:

graphics-2.0-ia64 graphics-2.0-noarch

and the "/etc/foobar-release" file contains:

My Linux Distrib release 1.0RC4 (TryIt)

Then the results of various options will be:

$ ./lsb_release --all
LSB Version: core-2.0-ia64:core-2.0-noarch:graphics-2.0-ia64:graphics-2.0-noarch
Distributor ID: MyDistrib
Description: I enjoy using my distrib
Release: 1.0RC4
Codename: TryIt

$ ./lsb_release -a -s
1.0 MyDistrib "I enjoy using my distrib" 1.0RC4 TryIt

If the "/etc/lsb-release" file is absent (indicating this is not an LSB compliant distribution), the result will be:

$ ./lsb_release -a
LSB Version: n/a
Distributor ID: MyDistrib
Description: My Linux Distrib release 1.0RC4 (TryIt)
Release: 1.0RC4
Codename: TryIt

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs at http://bugs.linuxbase.org. Please include a complete, self contained example that will allow the bug to be reproduced, and say which version of lsb_release you are using.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2000, 2002, 2004 Free Standards Group, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Originally written by Dominique MASSONIE.