GNOME-Shell is the graphical shell of the GNOME desktop environment starting with version 3, which was released in April 2011. It provides basic functions like launching applications, switching between windows, and is also the primary user interface of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Fedora. To ensure compatibility and smooth functioning of your system, it’s important to know the version of GNOME-Shell you are using. This article will guide you on how to check your GNOME-Shell version.
To check your GNOME-Shell version, you can use either a terminal command or your package manager. In the terminal, use the command "gnome-shell –version" to display the version. Alternatively, you can use the command "apt-cache show gnome-shell | grep Version" to check the version using the package manager.
Method 1: Using Terminal Command
The simplest and most straightforward method to check your GNOME-Shell version is by using a terminal command.
- Open your terminal. You can do this by pressing
Ctrl + Alt + Ton your keyboard or by searching forTerminalin your system’s application launcher. - Once the terminal is open, type the following command:
gnome-shell --version- Press
Enter. The terminal should display the version of GNOME-Shell installed on your system.
In this command, gnome-shell is the command to start the GNOME Shell, while --version is a parameter that instructs the system to display the version of the shell.
If you encounter an error with this command, try using gnome-shell -h to get a list of available options and copy and paste --version to ensure accuracy.
Method 2: Using Package Manager
If you have installed GNOME-Shell from the Ubuntu repositories, you can use the package manager to check the version. Here’s how:
- Open your terminal.
- Type the following command:
apt-cache show gnome-shell | grep Version- Press
Enter. This will show the version information of the GNOME-Shell package.
In this command, apt-cache show gnome-shell fetches all the package details of GNOME-Shell, while | grep Version filters out the version information from the package details.
Please note that this method works even if the package is not installed.
Understanding the Output
The output of these commands will show the version of GNOME-Shell installed on your system. The version number is usually in the format of X.Y.Z, where X is the major version number, Y is the minor version number, and Z is the patch number. For example, 3.36.4 means the major version is 3, the minor version is 36, and the patch number is 4.
Conclusion
Knowing your GNOME-Shell version can help you troubleshoot issues, ensure compatibility with certain software, and keep your system up-to-date. By following the steps above, you can easily find out the version of GNOME-Shell you are using. Remember, the terminal is a powerful tool that can provide a wealth of information about your system. Don’t hesitate to use it to explore more about your Linux system.
Yes, you can use these methods to check the GNOME-Shell version on any Linux distribution that has GNOME-Shell installed, including Ubuntu, Fedora, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
If you encounter an error with the gnome-shell --version command, try using gnome-shell -h to get a list of available options. Make sure you copy and paste --version accurately to ensure accuracy.
Yes, you can use the package manager method to check the version of GNOME-Shell even if you haven’t installed it. The command apt-cache show gnome-shell | grep Version will fetch the package details and display the version information.
The version number is usually in the format of X.Y.Z, where X is the major version number, Y is the minor version number, and Z is the patch number. For example, 3.36.4 means the major version is 3, the minor version is 36, and the patch number is 4.
