Ubuntu Linux Kernel Version

How to Check Ubuntu Linux Kernel Version

To check the Linux kernel version currently running on Ubuntu, open a Terminal and run uname -r. This is the quickest command when you only need the active kernel release.

The Ubuntu release version and the Linux kernel version are different values. For example, an Ubuntu 24.04 LTS installation originally shipped with the Linux 6.8 kernel, while systems following Ubuntu’s Hardware Enablement (HWE) stack can receive newer kernel versions over time. Therefore, the safest way to know the kernel on a specific machine is to check the running system directly.

Check the Running Ubuntu Kernel Version with uname -r

Open a Terminal and run the following command.

uname -r

The command prints the release name of the kernel that is currently loaded. It does not require sudo.

The command echoes the Linux Kernel version to the terminal output as shown in the following screenshot.

The screenshot shows 5.4.0-33-generic as an example from an older Ubuntu installation. Your system may show a different version because kernel updates, Ubuntu releases, HWE kernels, OEM kernels, and kernel flavors can differ between installations.

Understand the Ubuntu uname -r Kernel Version Output

A typical Ubuntu kernel release string looks similar to 6.8.0-100-generic. The parts help identify the kernel family and Ubuntu build.

• 6.8.0 identifies the Linux kernel version family and patch level.
• 100 is the Ubuntu ABI/build identifier used for that kernel package series.
• generic is the kernel flavor. Other Ubuntu installations may use a different flavor, such as a low-latency or hardware-specific kernel.

When reporting a driver, boot, virtualization, or hardware problem, copy the complete output of uname -r rather than only the first two version numbers.

Check Ubuntu Kernel Version with hostnamectl

You can also use hostnamectl in Terminal. It displays system information including the hostname, operating system, kernel, and architecture.

hostnamectl

Look for the Kernel: line in the output. This method is useful when you want the Ubuntu operating-system information and the running kernel version in the same result.

In the following screenshot, you can observe that the machine we are running Ubuntu, has Linux 5.4.0-33-generic as Kernel.

Show Full Ubuntu Kernel Details with uname -a

If you need more than the release number, use uname -a. It prints the kernel name, hostname, kernel release, build information, machine architecture, and operating-system identifier in one line.

uname -a

For scripts or support tickets that only need the kernel release, prefer uname -r because its output is shorter and easier to parse.

Check the Ubuntu Release and Kernel Version Together

If you are troubleshooting an Ubuntu machine, it is often useful to record both the Ubuntu release and the running kernel. The following commands show both values.

cat /etc/os-release
uname -r

/etc/os-release identifies the installed Ubuntu release, while uname -r identifies the kernel currently loaded into memory. Do not assume that every installation of the same Ubuntu release is running the same kernel version.

List Installed Ubuntu Kernel Packages

An Ubuntu system can have more than one kernel package installed. To list installed Linux image packages managed by dpkg, run:

dpkg --list 'linux-image*' | grep '^ii'

This list can include kernels that are installed but not currently running. Compare it with uname -r when you need to distinguish the active kernel from other installed kernels.

If a kernel update has been installed but the computer has not yet been rebooted, the newest installed kernel package can differ from the kernel reported by uname -r. After a normal reboot, check uname -r again to confirm which kernel was loaded.

Ubuntu Kernel Version Commands at a Glance

Command	What it shows
uname -r	The currently running kernel release
hostnamectl	Ubuntu system information including the running kernel
uname -a	Full kernel and machine information
cat /etc/os-release	The Ubuntu release, not the kernel version
dpkg --list 'linux-image*' | grep '^ii'	Installed Linux kernel image packages

Ubuntu Kernel Version Editorial QA Checklist

• Verify that uname -r is described as the running kernel, not as a list of installed kernels.
• Keep the Ubuntu release number separate from the Linux kernel version.
• Do not label one kernel version as universal for all Ubuntu systems; GA, HWE, OEM, and other kernel tracks can differ.
• When an example contains an older kernel such as 5.4.0-33-generic, identify it as an example rather than the current kernel for every Ubuntu release.
• Confirm that read-only version checks such as uname -r, uname -a, and hostnamectl are not shown with unnecessary sudo.
• When listing installed kernels, make clear that an installed kernel is not necessarily the kernel currently loaded.

Ubuntu Linux Kernel Version: Key Point

For most users, uname -r is the simplest way to check the Linux kernel version that Ubuntu is currently running. Use hostnamectl or uname -a when you need additional system details, and list installed kernel packages when you need to compare the active kernel with other kernels available on the machine.

In this Ubuntu Tutorial, we learned how to check Kernel version of the Ubuntu Operating System.