---
name: "uname"
section: "1"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/uname"
---

# uname(1)

print operating system name

## NAME

**uname** – print operating system name

## SYNOPSIS

**uname** \[**-amnprsv**\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **uname** utility writes strings representing one or more system characteristics to the standard output. The formats and meanings of all these strings vary among operating systems.

The options are as follows:

- **-a**

  Behave as though all of the options **-mnrsv** were specified.

- **-m**

  Print the name of the hardware type. On OpenBSD, this is the kernel architecture as returned by [machine(1)](/machine/1.md).

- **-n**

  Print the network name of this machine. On OpenBSD, the same name can be printed with [hostname(1)](/hostname/1.md).

- **-p**

  Print the application architecture as returned by [arch(1)](/arch/1.md) **-s**.

- **-r**

  Print the operating system release. On OpenBSD, the format is *digit*.*digit*.

- **-s**

  Print the operating system name. On OpenBSD, this is always “OpenBSD”.

- **-v**

  Print the operating system version. On OpenBSD, the format is *SYSTEMNAME*#*buildnumber* with the *SYSTEMNAME* mentioned in [config(8)](/config/8.md).

If no options are specified, **uname** prints the operating system name as if the **-s** option had been specified.

If **-a** or more than one option is specified, OpenBSD prints the selected fields separated by single space characters in the following order: operating system name, network name, release, version, kernel architecture, application architecture.

## EXIT STATUS

The **uname** utility exits 0 on success, and \>0 if an error occurs.

## SEE ALSO

[hostname(1)](/hostname/1.md), [machine(1)](/machine/1.md), [uname(3)](/uname/3.md)

## STANDARDS

The **uname** utility is compliant with the IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (“POSIX.1”) specification.

The flag \[**-p**\] is an extension to that specification.

## HISTORY

The **uname** command first appeared in PWB/UNIX 1.0 and was reimplemented for 4.4BSD.