[C#]Getting OS Version and Platform Information of the Running Environment

Overview

This article explains how to obtain information about the Operating System (OS) type and version where your application is currently running. By using the standard System.Environment class, you can identify platforms such as Windows, Linux, and macOS, and check detailed version numbers (Major, Minor, Build, and Revision).

Specifications (Input/Output)

• Input: None (refers to system information of the execution environment).
• Output:
  • Platform identifier (PlatformID enum).
  • OS version string (string).
  • Breakdown of version numbers (Major, Minor, Build, Revision).

Basic Usage

Access the Environment.OSVersion property to obtain an object containing the current OS information.

OperatingSystem os = Environment.OSVersion;

// Example: Unix 13.0.0 (macOS, etc.) or Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.19045.0
Console.WriteLine(os.VersionString);

Full Code

The following console application retrieves basic OS information and individual version components.

using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Retrieve OS information
        OperatingSystem osInfo = Environment.OSVersion;

        Console.WriteLine("=== OS Information ===");
        
        // 1. Platform identifier (Win32NT, Unix, MacOSX, etc.)
        // Note: In .NET Core/.NET 5 and later, macOS and Linux are often identified as "Unix".
        Console.WriteLine($"Platform     : {osInfo.Platform}");

        // 2. Full version string
        Console.WriteLine($"VersionString: {osInfo.VersionString}");

        // 3. Version number details
        Version ver = osInfo.Version;
        Console.WriteLine($"Major        : {ver.Major}");
        Console.WriteLine($"Minor        : {ver.Minor}");
        Console.WriteLine($"Build        : {ver.Build}");
        Console.WriteLine($"Revision     : {ver.Revision}");

        // 4. Service Pack information (may be empty)
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(osInfo.ServicePack))
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"ServicePack  : {osInfo.ServicePack}");
        }
    }
}

Execution Result Example (Windows 10/11)

=== OS Information ===
Platform     : Win32NT
VersionString: Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.19045.0
Major        : 10
Minor        : 0
Build        : 19045
Revision     : 0

Execution Result Example (Linux/WSL)

=== OS Information ===
Platform     : Unix
VersionString: Unix 5.15.90.1
Major        : 5
Minor        : 15
Build        : 90
Revision     : 1

Customization Points

• Integration into Logs: Outputting this information when an application starts helps identify the user’s environment (e.g., Windows 10 vs. 11, Linux kernel version) when troubleshooting bugs.
• Branching Logic: You can use the osInfo.Platform value to branch logic, such as choosing Windows-specific path separators or determining if specific commands can be executed.

Points of Caution

• Accurate Windows 10/11 Versions: In older .NET Framework applications, the Version property might return 6.2 (Windows 8) if the application manifest (app.manifest) does not explicitly declare compatibility, even if running on Windows 10 or 11. Proper manifest settings are required for accurate results.
• Distinguishing Between Linux and macOS: Since .NET Core, both Linux and macOS generally return PlatformID.Unix. To distinguish them strictly, use the methods in the OperatingSystem class described in the “Application” section.

Application: Modern OS Detection in .NET 5 and Later

In .NET 5 and later, the System.OperatingSystem class includes convenient methods for platform detection. These are recommended as guard clauses before calling OS-specific features.

using System;

if (OperatingSystem.IsWindows())
{
    Console.WriteLine("This is Windows. You can perform registry operations, etc.");
    // You can also use OperatingSystem.IsWindowsVersionAtLeast(10, 0, 19041)
}
else if (OperatingSystem.IsLinux())
{
    Console.WriteLine("This is Linux.");
}
else if (OperatingSystem.IsMacOS())
{
    Console.WriteLine("This is macOS.");
}
else if (OperatingSystem.IsBrowser())
{
    Console.WriteLine("This is running in a browser, such as Blazor WebAssembly.");
}

Summary

Environment.OSVersion is a basic property for easily obtaining OS information. However, in modern cross-platform C# development (Windows, Linux, macOS), platform identification can be broad (e.g., grouped under Unix). For functional branching based on the OS, the best practice is to use methods introduced in .NET 5, such as OperatingSystem.IsWindows().