How to check what version of Ubuntu you are running.

There is no standard way of identifying the version of Ubuntu (or one of its derivatives) using the mouse since this information is accessed differently depending on the version installed. Because of this, it is suggested to use the Terminal as described in the following section: Checking your version with the command line.

Nonetheless, if you know you are using Ubuntu (and not one of it's derivatives such as Kubuntu, Xubuntu or Lubuntu), you can try the following approaches using the mouse.

In Unity

This applies to Ubuntu 11.04 and later. Go into System Settings and open

• System Info (for version 11.10); or

• Details (for version 12.04 & 12.10).

The Ubuntu version is listed in the Overview section (see image below).

In Gnome

Gnome is the Classic Desktop Environment for Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty) and is the default DE in earlier releases, such as Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid). On these versions of Ubuntu you can click System -> About Ubuntu or System > Administration > System Monitor. The first line of the page that loads will tell you the version number, for example Ubuntu 10.04 LTS.

Check the list of Ubuntu versions to see how old your version is and whether an upgrade is available.

Checking your version with the command line

To check your Ubuntu version using the command line:

1. Open a Terminal by pressing CTRL+ALT+T.

2. Type: lsb_release -a and press Enter.

3. The Ubuntu version is displayed on the 'Description:' line.

Image showing the Ubuntu Version