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Quick way to determine which version/distro
Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 5:43 pm
by SprinterDriver
Hi.
I have several USB sticks laying around having various version of both Mint and other distros.
My problem is that none of them is labeled, so the only thing I have quick access to is the file system on the memory sticks. The question for me is - can I determine what distro is it on my USB stick? I cannot boot it up to check, I can only look at the internal files that is located onto the drive.
Thanks
Re: Quick way to determine which version/distro
Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 5:54 pm
by JeremyB
See if you can access /etc/lsb-release and that should have the info you want or you can check /dists/release
Re: Quick way to determine which version/distro
Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 3:13 pm
by SprinterDriver
Thanks, but there is no file with that exact path. By searching, the closest I find in regards to filename is
\dists\trusty\Release.
The contents of the file tell me that this particular usb stick is loaded with 32 bit version 17.3 of LM. I know that it's the Mate edition, but I cannot tell by reading the content of the file:
Code: Select all
Architectures: i386
Codename: trusty
Components: main contrib non-free
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 2015 13:33:31 -0500
Description: linuxmint 17.3 local repository
Label: Ubuntu
Origin: Ubuntu
Suite: trusty
Version: 14.10
MD5Sum:
d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e 0 Release
6ab63f543280cb377fdafb195464f4db 1058 contrib/binary-i386/Packages
1234ce03a33b2291a00c36a2431e6e63 707 contrib/binary-i386/Packages.gz
acc711eec4be26a819109e4105a0ba54 19469 main/binary-i386/Packages
7fd52d5029f5d47217dc74261ea8479e 7765 main/binary-i386/Packages.gz
9eaa94699ba074d8eaedd4665245939b 1635 non-free/binary-i386/Packages
cc7381f89efdf66052f28e608355170a 1009 non-free/binary-i386/Packages.gz
SHA1:
da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709 0 Release
948a60ed55e96d8e8d3e8dfcb765cd2accb50743 1058 contrib/binary-i386/Packages
237bbe0337cadd4e2f61cff847fc3944574c8181 707 contrib/binary-i386/Packages.gz
5856c82313817fea7673ebbbccd35b9b91e2d390 19469 main/binary-i386/Packages
c39fad1fba37ac4f6ce0843449aecfd6a4670a6b 7765 main/binary-i386/Packages.gz
18d2dd227555d5334ec2cddbd7451bbdfd19c99a 1635 non-free/binary-i386/Packages
44b073b5c66adbc8a73e044bb625115f383ca7bf 1009 non-free/binary-i386/Packages.gz
SHA256:
e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855 0 Release
b9128dece70fbbcf8f935b1e1b48182dc18f4832065902bc0a48fc67416d97c5 1058 contrib/binary-i386/Packages
72090888b5e161ef81c3d76695c511c79ea98fb0c08b739dd5d1d586c67706e7 707 contrib/binary-i386/Packages.gz
e23ad1506446e1bfd44d29bb6d95ab8f2c1b7d80b5ea40aab5f143a368385f7b 19469 main/binary-i386/Packages
b8bde0b20822cc7c5a626fe30b50ba7838e90331bece4f080e274a9374a69ed9 7765 main/binary-i386/Packages.gz
b3dd3cc6eae7499693b1576592e887553ba5f7906bd0b6b6f082a35d95e69a87 1635 non-free/binary-i386/Packages
e8912f6e1392aad8bdc83544b8d723b7b2f22f15b07540fc6a0c8049e39a7062 1009 non-free/binary-i386/Packages.gz
SHA512:
cf83e1357eefb8bdf1542850d66d8007d620e4050b5715dc83f4a921d36ce9ce47d0d13c5d85f2b0ff8318d2877eec2f63b931bd47417a81a538327af927da3e 0 Release
423d9522e63cfcc1db2559b48eaff6a3388b8d106bef34aa8f2f15bf365ce4fb2b2c52352e99e7cedecf2b203e36d9e037fa1a2a96e3cb9662c893d507451e4f 1058 contrib/binary-i386/Packages
44e0ba518b40274afa524f88b5e2508d9e2ac187221e299bddd9891343c5407f95945b46befff4c22bc4e26d01c0ddb603da5d886c84645d219380a95727d488 707 contrib/binary-i386/Packages.gz
4be57b364d0147a4f09e618c04771fbc1cc4662710dd639de796dd646856f59c99896031b5054c4e22df0ac8900328685c5f5b791930e3ff8d6bc49276ae4189 19469 main/binary-i386/Packages
de6af4839fb15400d3e5572af67bef4a9b8cf89de45f059177e3c36c2fa4eb4fd559b9c265e2a6f4f66ba9e6a8b81eae26fd5d5e02264f113c8509ab5e3d477f 7765 main/binary-i386/Packages.gz
f60b2118bcbd3966532304a84e2fd9b9bca1ceb39b633d1a9a7b30f655589f1450509787e0bdb9b196636a57b37d832d6c4ad5b1f200849ac04d59db06b0b039 1635 non-free/binary-i386/Packages
6890a44055a5040d56a42e1f31ce0c2a4341abd38a6addbbcb32074f041c3dade3d0f66544fac988a6e1af7bae39a6ee8f72584887f216930c47b3ca8677402b 1009 non-free/binary-i386/Packages.gz
This help me a lot, thank you
Re: Quick way to determine which version/distro
Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 4:07 pm
by DeMus
Boot one by one and label them immediately.
Re: Quick way to determine which version/distro
Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 5:31 pm
by JerryF
If you want to check them in the future while you have Mint running, boot them and make note of the version/distro for each.
Then use Gparted to label each USB. Example:
Capture_002.jpg
Then, when you have Mint running, insert the USB and it'll show what it is under Devices:
Capture_001.jpg
Re: Quick way to determine which version/distro
Posted: Tue May 23, 2017 4:48 pm
by SprinterDriver
Hi folks.
I think I have found the root of the problem.
On physical disk (cd/dvd), the volume label is intact after a normal burning process. When making bootable usb-sticks from a iso file, other sets of rules applies. I discovered that the volume label of the usb-stick in most cases is altered by the program that makes them bootable. I have not tested every such program and there may only be some few such programs that have this flaw.