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uname Command on Linux: Kernel Version, Architecture and Hostname

· dinesh
uname command linux - custom-uname-featured.png

uname on Linux is the quick answer to “what kernel am I running?” and “is this box amd64 or arm64?” — essential before installing drivers, DKMS modules, or matching package architectures.

Related: apt upgrade,
hostnamectl,
journalctl.

Kernel release

uname -r is what support forums ask for first — compare with /var/run/reboot-required on Debian/Ubuntu.

bashkernel
uname -r
uname -m
uname -r
kernel

All details

uname -a prints kernel, hostname, date string, and architecture in one line.

bashall
uname -a
uname -a
full

Architecture flags

-m machine hardware; -p processor type — verify before downloading binaries.

basharch
uname -m
uname -p 2>/dev/null || true
x86_64
aarch64

OS name vs kernel

Distribution name lives in /etc/os-release; uname is about the kernel, not whether you run Ubuntu vs AlmaLinux.

TipAfter kernel updates, reboot when needs-restarting or /var/run/reboot-required says so — uname will not change until then.
os-release
distro

Quick Reference

  • Kernel: uname -r
  • Arch: uname -m
  • Distro name: /etc/os-release

Related tutorials

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