# Using the `os-release` standard
Amazon Linux complies with the [`os-release` standard](https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/latest/os-release.html) on the freedesktop.org website for identifying Linux distributions. This file provides machine-readable information about the operating system identification and version.
**Note**
The standard dictates that `/etc/os-release` is parsed first, followed by `/usr/lib/os-release`. Take care to follow the standard around file names and paths.
**Topics**
+ [Key identification differences](#ident-key-differences)
+ [Field types: machine-readable and human-readable](#ident-os-release-field-types)
+ [`/etc/os-release` examples](#ident-os-release-examples)
+ [Comparison with other distributions](#ident-other-distributions-comparison)
## Key identification differences
The most reliable way to determine that an instance is running Amazon Linux is to check the `ID` field in `os-release`. On every version of Amazon Linux, the `ID` field is `amzn`.
The most reliable way to distinguish between Amazon Linux versions is to check the `VERSION_ID` field in `os-release`:
+ AL2027: `VERSION_ID="2027"`
+ AL2023: `VERSION_ID="2023"`
+ AL2: `VERSION_ID="2"`
**Note**
Remember that `VERSION_ID` is a machine-readable field intended for programmatic use, and `PRETTY_NAME` is designed for display to users. See [Field types: machine-readable and human-readable](#ident-os-release-field-types) for more information about field types.
## Field types: machine-readable and human-readable
The `/etc/os-release` file (or `/usr/lib/os-release` if `/etc/os-release` does not exist) contains two types of fields: machine-readable fields intended for programmatic use, and human-readable fields intended for presentation to users.
### Machine-readable fields
These fields use standardized formats and are intended for processing by scripts, package managers, and other automated tools. They contain only lowercase letters, numbers, and limited punctuation (periods, underscores, and hyphens).
+ `ID` – Operating system identifier. Amazon Linux uses `amzn` across all versions, distinguishing it from other distributions like Debian (`debian`), Ubuntu (`ubuntu`), or Fedora (`fedora`)
+ `VERSION_ID` – Operating system version for programmatic use, such as `2027`
+ `ID_LIKE` – Space-separated list of related distributions, such as `fedora`
+ `VERSION_CODENAME` – Release codename for scripts
+ `PLATFORM_ID` – Platform identifier, such as `platform:al2027`
+ `VARIANT_ID` – Variant identifier for programmatic decisions
+ `BUILD_ID` – Build identifier for system images
+ `IMAGE_ID` – Image identifier for containerized environments
### Human-readable fields
These fields are intended for display to users and can contain spaces, mixed case, and descriptive text. Use them when presenting operating system information in user interfaces.
+ `NAME` – Operating system name for display, such as `Amazon Linux`
+ `PRETTY_NAME` – Full operating system name with version for display, such as `Amazon Linux 2027.0.20260903`
+ `VERSION` – Version information suitable for user presentation
+ `VARIANT` – Variant or edition name for display, such as `Server Edition`
### Other informational fields
These fields provide additional metadata about the operating system:
+ `HOME_URL`, `DOCUMENTATION_URL`, `SUPPORT_URL`, `BUG_REPORT_URL` – Project, documentation, support, and bug reporting URLs
+ `VENDOR_NAME`, `VENDOR_URL` – Vendor name and URL
+ `SUPPORT_END` – End-of-support date in YYYY-MM-DD format
+ `CPE_NAME` – Common Platform Enumeration identifier
+ `ANSI_COLOR` – ANSI color code for terminal display
**Note**
During the AL2027 preview, the informational URL fields and the `SUPPORT_END` field carry placeholder values. They will be finalized for the public releases.
When writing scripts or applications that need to identify Amazon Linux programmatically, use the machine-readable fields like `ID` and `VERSION_ID`. When displaying operating system information to users, use the human-readable fields like `PRETTY_NAME`.
## `/etc/os-release` examples
The following examples show the identification fields from `/etc/os-release` on each Amazon Linux version:
------
#### [ AL2027 ]
```
grep -E '^(NAME|VERSION|ID|ID_LIKE|VERSION_ID|PLATFORM_ID|PRETTY_NAME|CPE_NAME)=' /etc/os-release
```
```
NAME="Amazon Linux"
VERSION="2027"
ID="amzn"
ID_LIKE="fedora"
VERSION_ID="2027"
PLATFORM_ID="platform:al2027"
PRETTY_NAME="Amazon Linux 2027.0.20260903"
CPE_NAME="cpe:2.3:o:amazon:amazon_linux:2027:2027.0.20260903"
```
------
#### [ AL2023 ]
```
grep -E '^(NAME|VERSION|ID|ID_LIKE|VERSION_ID|PLATFORM_ID|PRETTY_NAME|CPE_NAME)=' /etc/os-release
```
```
NAME="Amazon Linux"
VERSION="2023"
ID="amzn"
ID_LIKE="fedora"
VERSION_ID="2023"
PLATFORM_ID="platform:al2023"
PRETTY_NAME="Amazon Linux 2023.12.20260817"
CPE_NAME="cpe:2.3:o:amazon:amazon_linux:2023"
```
------
#### [ AL2 ]
```
grep -E '^(NAME|VERSION|ID|ID_LIKE|VERSION_ID|PLATFORM_ID|PRETTY_NAME|CPE_NAME)=' /etc/os-release
```
```
NAME="Amazon Linux"
VERSION="2"
ID="amzn"
ID_LIKE="centos rhel fedora"
VERSION_ID="2"
PRETTY_NAME="Amazon Linux 2"
CPE_NAME="cpe:2.3:o:amazon:amazon_linux:2"
```
------
## Comparison with other distributions
To understand how Amazon Linux fits within the broader Linux ecosystem, compare its identification fields with other major distributions:
------
#### [ Fedora ]
```
grep -E '^(NAME|VERSION|ID|ID_LIKE|VERSION_ID|PLATFORM_ID|PRETTY_NAME|CPE_NAME)=' /etc/os-release
```
```
NAME="Fedora Linux"
VERSION="43 (Container Image)"
ID=fedora
VERSION_ID=43
PLATFORM_ID="platform:f43"
PRETTY_NAME="Fedora Linux 43 (Container Image)"
CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:fedoraproject:fedora:43"
```
------
#### [ Debian ]
```
grep -E '^(NAME|VERSION|ID|ID_LIKE|VERSION_ID|PLATFORM_ID|PRETTY_NAME|CPE_NAME)=' /etc/os-release
```
```
PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)"
NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
VERSION_ID="12"
VERSION="12 (bookworm)"
ID=debian
```
------
#### [ Ubuntu ]
```
grep -E '^(NAME|VERSION|ID|ID_LIKE|VERSION_ID|PLATFORM_ID|PRETTY_NAME|CPE_NAME)=' /etc/os-release
```
```
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS"
NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION_ID="24.04"
VERSION="24.04.4 LTS (Noble Numbat)"
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
```
------
Notice how the machine-readable fields provide consistent identification across distributions:
+ `ID` – Uniquely identifies the operating system: `amzn` for Amazon Linux, `fedora` for Fedora, `debian` for Debian, `ubuntu` for Ubuntu
+ `ID_LIKE` – Shows distribution relationships: AL2027 and AL2023 use `fedora`, AL2 uses `centos rhel fedora`, and Ubuntu shows `debian` to indicate its Debian heritage
+ `VERSION_ID` – Provides machine-parseable version information: `2027` for AL2027, `43` for Fedora, `12` for Debian, `24.04` for Ubuntu
In contrast, the human-readable fields are designed for display to users:
+ `NAME` – User-friendly OS name: `Amazon Linux`, `Fedora Linux`, `Debian GNU/Linux`, `Ubuntu`
+ `PRETTY_NAME` – Complete display name with version: `Amazon Linux 2027.0.20260903`, `Fedora Linux 43 (Container Image)`, `Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)`, `Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS`
+ `VERSION` – Human-readable version with additional context like codenames or release types
When writing cross-platform scripts, always use the machine-readable fields (`ID`, `VERSION_ID`, `ID_LIKE`) for logic and decisions, and use the human-readable fields (`PRETTY_NAME`, `NAME`) only for displaying information to users.