Verify the version of ubuntu running in a Docker container

Question

I have Docker Toolbox installed on windows 8.1 and I am creating an image based on ubuntu:latest (which should be 16.04). I want to make sure that my application is indeed run o

Answer 1

The uname command is pulling specs from the kernel running on the host. If I enter a Ubuntu container on my Debian host, the uname will answer with a Debian build of the kernel.

To know the version of Ubuntu you are running, do a

$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=16.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=xenial
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS"

It's simple variables that are shell script friendly, so you can run

#!/bin/sh

if [ ! -f /etc/lsb-release ]; then
  echo "lsb-release missing, unlikely to be a Ubuntu system"
  exit 1
fi
. /etc/lsb-release
if [ "$DISTRIB_ID" != "Ubuntu" -o "$DISTRIB_RELEASE" != "16.04" ]; then
  echo "Linux install doesn't appear to be Ubuntu 16.04"
  exit 1
fi
...

Answer 2

Try this

cat /etc/os-release

It will return like this

NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION="16.04.3 LTS (Xenial Xerus)"
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS"
VERSION_ID="16.04"
HOME_URL="http://www.ubuntu.com/"
SUPPORT_URL="http://help.ubuntu.com/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/"
VERSION_CODENAME=xenial
UBUNTU_CODENAME=xenial