Linux server operating system versions

How to check os version in Linux command line

Check os version in Linux

The procedure to find os name and version on Linux:

1. Open the terminal application (bash shell)
2. For remote server login using the ssh: ssh user@server-name
3. Type any one of the following command to find os name and version in Linux:
   cat /etc/os-release
   lsb_release -a
   hostnamectl
4. Type the following command to find Linux kernel version:
   uname -r

Let us see all examples in details for common Linux distros.

The /etc/os-release file

Type the following cat command:
$ cat /etc/os-release
Sample outputs:

We can filter out information such as OS version and name using the grep command/egrep command as follows:
$ grep ‘^VERSION’ /etc/os-release
$ egrep ‘^(VERSION|NAME)=’ /etc/os-release
Here is what we see:

Even tiny Linux distro such as Alpine Linux provide the required OS (Operating system) information, including version:

Checking OS version on Linux using the lsb_release command

The lsb_release command gives LSB (Linux Standard Base) and distribution-specific information on the CLI. The syntax is:
$ lsb_release -a
Sample outputs:

hostnamectl command

Use hostnamectl command to query and change the system hostname and related settings. Just type the following command to check OS name and Linux kernel version:
$ hostnamectl
And it will give info as follows. Look out for “ Operating System ” and “ Kernel “:

Another outputs from my OpenSUSE Linux 15.2 server:

uname command

/etc/issue file

Use more command/less command as follows:
$ cat /etc/issue
$ more /etc/issue
$ less /etc/issue

Getting help

You can also view the manual page on uname using the following command:
$ man hostnamectl
$ man uname
$ man cat

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Conclusion

We explained how to find and display the OS version on Linux. The safest option is to query /etc/os-release file using grep or cat command. Systemd based Linux distro users can use the hostnamectl command.

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9 Best Linux Distros for Small Business Servers- 2019

Are you looking for a free Linux server for your small business? Then you stumble upon at the right place. Although, Linux servers are open source and come at free of cost still they are the most powerful servers in every aspect whether you need to create own cloud, hosting, web server or something more. Even big businesses like Google, Facebook and Amazon use the Linux server to power their customers need. The best thing about the Linux small business server is that they can easily run on the modest hardware with stability, reliability and can upscale in future according to growing needs.

Using Linux, the SMEs will not only get the server OS free of cost but also have the complete range of server functionality, security, and networking. Some of them are designed with a great user interface so that less experienced IT administrator can easily understand, whereas, some are for greater control and designed for advanced IT staff.

So, here we are with a list of best general-purpose Linux servers for your small businesses.

All-in-one Linux server for small business and Enterprises

NethServer

NethServer is an open-source a nd free to download CentOS-based Linux distribution for servers. It has a modular design like ClearOS and can use as a web server, firewall, mail server, and filter, web filter, IPS/IDS or VPN server or more… It is designed for small offices and medium enterprises and has a web-based user interface. To extend the server functionality there are several pre-configured modules that can be disabled or enable with one click. You can download this Linux small business server and can install it on any commodity hardware.

NethServer Linux server Features:

• Support by community
• Full Data Backup
• Manual upgrade
• Stateful Inspection
• Advanced Firewall Rules, Port Forward, Web Proxy
• Transparent Proxy HTTPS
• OpenSource URL Filter and Cloud-based URL Filter
• QoS
• SMTP Proxy
• Cloud Backup and Cloud Configuration Backup
• LAMP Software and Print Server
• DHCP/DNS/TFTP/NTP
• Bandwidth Monitor
• Mail Server
• FaxServer
• Fax Web Client
• Webmail
• File Server
• FTP Server
• KVM and KVM Web Interface
• And More…

ClearOS

ClearOS is a CentOS-based Linux operating system and a browser-based platform. It comes with an integrated network, gateway and server function with minimal deploying complexities. It has an inbuilt firewall, Bandwidth management, content filter, file servers, VPN server, intrusion detection, domain controller, mail server and much more… It features more than 25+ integrated open Source projects. It also offers media server apps such as Plex server and Serviio Media Server. (Also See: Best Open source Media server software ).

The ClearOs is available in four versions: ClearOS community (free to download and use), ClearOS Home, ClearOS business and ClearOS Hosted. The hosted on is for those SMEs those don’t want to spend money on costly server hardware. It also offers ClearOS Marketplace Apps place from where you can install the free apps to extend the server functionality.

ClearOS Linux Small Business Server Key Features:

• Antimalware rules
• Content filter blacklists
• Dropbox sync
• Custom Firewall
• DNS server
• Multi-Van
• Gateway Antiphishing
• Intrusion Detection System
• Back up and Restore
• Bandwidth viewer
• Smart Monitor
• And more…

Zentyal Linux Small Business Server

Zentyal Server ( download ) is another great all-in-one Linux server available in two versions developer edition which free to download and use and another is commercial version. You can use the developer or community edition for small and medium businesses. It is based on Ubuntu and natively supports the MS Exchange protocols and Active Directory support which allows to join Microsoft clients to a domain and manage them easily.

Zentyal Linux Small Business Server Features:

• Webmail
• Native MS Exchange protocols and Active Directory support
• Calendars and contacts
• Mobile device email sync
• Antivirus/antispam
• IMAP, POP, SMTP, CalDAV, and CardDAV support
• Central domain and directory management
• Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication
• Web-based UI
• Multiple virtual mail domains
• DNS Server, DHCP Server, and NTP Server
• Network configuration, Routing, Gateway, Firewall, HTTP Proxy, WAN failover and Traffic balance
• And More…

Koozali SME Server

The Koozali is also Centos based Linux server and as Centos based you will get the stability and common server functionalities out of the box. SME Server is an Open Source Linux Server distribution web-based interface which allows it to access from any web browser on the internal network. It is password protected and can access remotely via SSH or PPTP. The server is set to automatic updates and get security updates from Redhat/Centos.

By using this server for small offices you need at least 2 cores min 2GHz with PAE support, 4GB of RAM and 30GB + required space to store data.

Koozali Features

• Qmail mail server
• Supports extensions
• IMAP, POP3, and SMTP protocols
• Firewall for Intrusion Detection
• Directory Services
• Raid and Backup
• Automatic Updates
• Samba file and printer sharing

Other Best Enterprise Linux Based Server Distribution OS

Above mentioned all-in-one Linux small business servers come with lots of pre-installed server applications such as web server, firewall, native Microsoft AD support, Media servers, Mail server, File server, Intrusion Detection System and more… But if you want to install and use a Linux server for some particular task and doesn’t need anything else then you can use these best Linux servers given below. The all-in-one- Linux servers for small businesses given above are also based on one of the servers given below.

These Linux servers can install and use with minimal packages or as full-fledged GUI server. All applications and features mentioned in the above-given server list can also be installed in these too, but manually one by one.

Ubuntu Server

Both Ubuntu Server and desktop are the most popular Linux operating systems. It is Debian based server and simple to install due to its excellent hardware driver discovery and support. And comes with great commercial support. Due to its ease of usage, excellent community and a wide range of hardware support make it an idle choice for Small to larger business to use it as business Linux Server.

Apart from server edition, Ubuntu also offers various versions of desktops such as Xubuntu, Edubuntu, Mythbuntu, and Lubuntu. The good thing is that software repositories are the same for all and also they are compatible with each other. It is also a best Linux server os for beginners.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Red Hat is the most stable and enterprise-class opensource Linux server powered world’s top companies server hardware. Grown as a small company and now becomes a giant one in the data centre world. Redhat is Fedora driven and offers stability and high quality of commercial support. RHEL features a file system that can scale up to 500 terabytes and supports Docker container also called Linux containers. The Linux containers allow operating-system-level virtualization. The commercial version is paid while the development version of RedHat is free to download so that beginners or developers can develop their Linux skills.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) is another stable opensource server Linux distro based on OpenSUSE. Also can consider as the best alternative to RehHat due to its leading-edge features and support. It features Linux containers (to build, deploy, and manage applications), Full System Rollback, skip service packs functionality, Open vSwitch with DPDK (Data Plane Development Kit) support, ARM AArch64 and Raspberry Pi support (See: Best Linux OS for Raspberry Pi ) , Salt -Advanced Systems Management module, Full support for KIWI and more…

CentOS

CentOS is a Redhat based Linux server operating system and used by a lot of web hosting companies. The CentOS is a fork of Redhat but not paid like the RedHat commercial version. You can also leverage the commercial support for it.

It is a community driver Linux server a.k.a Community Enterprise Operating system. This community has driven this project from the RedHat code and removed all the trademarks to freely distribute. If you want RedHat like functionality you can use the Centos. Overall the CentOS is the best RedHat alternative and also fairly beginner-friendly Linux server as it has a package manager.

Fedora Server

As we know the REHL is based on Fedora then why not consider the Fedora server ( download) itself. Personally, I really like its Desktop version interface which is GNOME-based. Also, the Fedora is maintained and run by the RedHat company which gives surety to get regular updates. Fedora is available for both personal desktops and workstations. The default Fedora server is headless server software, however, you can install the GUI manually. This Linux comes enterprise-class features but can be used in the small business environment but get hands on to it if you know how to handle the advance servers.

The Best Linux Server Operating Systems

You can use any Linux server operating system given above to full fill your business need. Its all depends upon your requirement and skills to handle the Linux server, means how to perform advance level task you want to perform. If you want pre-configured modules with a single click to disable or enable the functionalities then you can go for all-in-one servers, however, want to build something from scratch then the Ubuntu, REHL, SUSE and other Linux operating system servers are there.

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