uname command

Print system information about the operating system.

Overview

The uname command displays system information about the operating system running on your computer. It can show the kernel name, network node hostname, kernel release, kernel version, machine hardware name, processor type, hardware platform, and operating system.

Options

-a, --all

Print all information, in the following order: kernel name, network node hostname, kernel release, kernel version, machine hardware name, processor type, hardware platform, operating system.

$ uname -a
Linux hostname 5.15.0-76-generic #83-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jun 15 19:16:32 UTC 2023 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

-s, --kernel-name

Print the kernel name. This is the default if no option is specified.

$ uname -s
Linux

-n, --nodename

Print the network node hostname.

$ uname -n
hostname

-r, --kernel-release

Print the kernel release.

$ uname -r
5.15.0-76-generic

-v, --kernel-version

Print the kernel version.

$ uname -v
#83-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jun 15 19:16:32 UTC 2023

-m, --machine

Print the machine hardware name.

$ uname -m
x86_64

-p, --processor

Print the processor type (or "unknown" if not known).

$ uname -p
x86_64

-i, --hardware-platform

Print the hardware platform (or "unknown" if not known).

$ uname -i
x86_64

-o, --operating-system

Print the operating system.

$ uname -o
GNU/Linux

Usage Examples

Getting kernel information

$ uname -sr
Linux 5.15.0-76-generic

Checking architecture for compatibility

$ uname -m
x86_64

Displaying complete system information

$ uname -a
Linux hostname 5.15.0-76-generic #83-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jun 15 19:16:32 UTC 2023 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Tips:

Identify System Architecture

Use uname -m to quickly identify if your system is 32-bit (i686) or 64-bit (x86_64), which is essential when downloading software or compiling from source.

Check Kernel Version

Use uname -r to check your kernel version before installing kernel-dependent software or drivers.

Combine Options

You can combine multiple options like uname -sr to get specific information without displaying everything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How do I check if my system is 32-bit or 64-bit?

A. Use uname -m. If it returns "x86_64", you have a 64-bit system. If it returns "i686" or "i386", you have a 32-bit system.

Q2. How can I find my Linux kernel version?

A. Use uname -r to display the kernel release version.

Q3. What's the difference between uname -v and uname -r?

A. uname -r shows the kernel release (like "5.15.0-76-generic"), while uname -v shows the kernel version, which typically includes build information (like "#83-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jun 15 19:16:32 UTC 2023").

Q4. How do I check what Linux distribution I'm using?

A. uname only shows kernel information. To check your distribution, use cat /etc/os-release or lsb_release -a instead.

macOS Considerations

On macOS, uname works similarly but with some differences:

• The -o option is not available on macOS
• The output of uname -a will show "Darwin" as the kernel name instead of "Linux"
• To get macOS version information, use sw_vers instead

References

https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/uname-invocation.html

Revisions

• 2025/05/05 First revision