lsb_release命令用来查看当前系统的发行版信息（prints certain LSB (Linux Standard Base) and Distribution information.）。有了这个命令就可以清楚的知道到底是RedHat的、还是别的发行版，还有具体的版本号，比如3.4还是5.4等等。有些系统上不一定安装了这个命令，可以通过查看/etc/issue文件得到发行版信息。
常用参数格式：lsb_release
格式：lsb_release -v
查看LSB本身的版本信息。
格式：lsb_release -a
打印本系统发行版的所有信息，比如发行版的ID，描述信息，具体版本，代号。
格式：lsb_release -d -s
格式：head -1 /etc/issue
查看发行版的描述信息，后面实例二展示了这个用法。
使用示例 示例一[root@ ~]# lsb_release
LSB Version: :core-3.1-ia32:core-3.1-noarch:graphics-3.1-ia32:graphics-3.1-noarch
[root@ ~]# lsb_release -a
LSB Version: :core-3.1-ia32:core-3.1-noarch:graphics-3.1-ia32:graphics-3.1-noarch
Distributor ID: RedHatEnterpriseServer
Description: Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5.4 (Tikanga)
Release: 5.4
Codename: Tikanga
[root@ ~]# lsb_release -v
LSB Version: :core-3.1-ia32:core-3.1-noarch:graphics-3.1-ia32:graphics-3.1-noarch
[root@ ~]# lsb_release -i
Distributor ID: RedHatEnterpriseServer
[root@ ~]# lsb_release -d
Description: Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5.4 (Tikanga)
[root@ ~]# lsb_release -r
Release: 5.4
[root@ ~]# lsb_release -c
Codename: Tikanga
[root@ ~]# lsb_release -r -s
5.4
[root@ ~]# uname -a
Linux jfht 2.6.18-164.el5PAE #1 SMP Tue Aug 18 15:59:11 EDT 2009 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
[root@ ~]# cat /proc/version
Linux version 2.6.18-164.el5PAE (mockbuild@x86-002.build.bos.redhat.com) (gcc version 4.1.2 20080704 (Red Hat 4.1.2-46)) #1 SMP Tue Aug 18 15:59:11 EDT 2009
[root@ ~]# cat /etc/issue
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5.4 (Tikanga)
Kernel \r on an \m
[root@ ~]# cat /etc/redhat-release
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5.4 (Tikanga)
[root@ ~]#
[root@ ~]# lsb_release -d -s
"Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5.4 (Tikanga)"
[root@ ~]# head -1 /etc/issue
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5.4 (Tikanga)
[root@ ~]#
[root@web186 root]# lsb_release
LSB Version: 1.3
[root@web186 root]# lsb_release -a
LSB Version: 1.3
Distributor ID: RedHatEnterpriseAS
Description: Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS release 3 (Taroon Update 4)
Release: 3
Codename: TaroonUpdate4
[root@web186 root]#