[CentOS-devel] enhancing /etc/*-release

[Anders F Björklund]

Karanbir Singh wrote:
>> another less-than-optimal solution would be for app developers to
>> start using lsb_release to find out what distro and release they
>> are installing onto. of course, that's a different problem, in more
>> than one way, at least one of which is that lsb_release is not installed
>> by default.
>> 
>> I'm switching the app installer for the program I maintain (at work)
>> to use lsb_release just because it's so much easier than  groping
>> /etc/redhat-release.
> 
> have you looked at /etc/os-release ? you can just source it and you get
> the content needed. I believe most people are trying to drive towards
> using that ( plus you dont need the lsb dep chain under it then )


Bryan Seitz wrote:

> Team,
> 
>   I would love to see /etc/os-release added to CentOS5 and CentOS6 as well.  Keep up the good work!

But os-release is a systemd "feature"*. Seems unlikely to make it ?
Might as well use `/usr/bin/lsb_release` (and redhat-lsb-core) then.

* http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/os-release.html

Ironically it doesn't even contain the name of the Operating System...
We saw this when it was introduced in (and broke) PackageKit earlier.

I don't think it's possible to change all redhat-release usage anyway.

--anders