Identifying Distro Data

[techAdmin]

We've hit this issue in inxi, and now I'm hitting it again in sgfxi as I add Ubuntu / Arch support: how to get tight identification of distros.

Following is the data I've collected so far. Note that default system settings are more important than possible extra data that does not come with the default system setup.

Arch Linux
Defaults:
/etc/issue

:: Code ::

/etc/arch-release

:: Code ::

Optional:
/etc/lsb-release

:: Code ::

Debian Sid / Testing
Defaults:
/etc/issue

:: Code ::

Debian GNU/Linux squeeze/sid \n \l

/etc/debian_version

:: Code ::

squeeze/sid

Optional:
/etc/lsb-release

:: Code ::

N/A

Debian Stable / Lenny
Defaults:
/etc/issue

:: Code ::

Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 \n \l

/etc/debian_version

:: Code ::

5.0

Optional:
/etc/lsb-release

:: Code ::

N/A

Debian Stable / Etch
Defaults:
/etc/issue

:: Code ::

 \n \l

/etc/debian_version

:: Code ::

Optional:
/etc/lsb-release

:: Code ::

N/A

Mepis
Notes: Mepis is now built on a Debian Stable base, with extra packages added in from Testing/Sid, and Mepis repos.
Defaults:
/etc/issue

:: Code ::

Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 \n \l

/etc/debian_version

:: Code ::

5.0.3

/etc/lsb-release

:: Code ::

DISTRIB_ID=MEPIS
DISTRIB_RELEASE=8.0
DISTRIB_CODENAME=lenny
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="MEPIS 8.0 (upgradable from Debian etch)"

Ubuntu
Note: thankfully this information is the same for Kubuntu, and I assume the other *buntus, but that needs to be confirmed, since it's different for Linux Mint.
Defaults:
/etc/issue

:: Code ::

Ubuntu 9.10 \n \l

/etc/debian_version

:: Code ::

squeeze/sid

/etc/lsb-release

:: Code ::

DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=9.10
DISTRIB_CODENAME=karmic
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 9.10"

Linux Mint
Note: Linux Mint tracks current Ubuntus, so the Release and Codename have to be handled explicitly t o match to ubuntu release handling.
Defaults:
/etc/issue

:: Code ::

Linux Mint 8 Helena - Main Edition \n \l

/etc/debian_version

:: Code ::

squeeze/sid

/etc/lsb-release

:: Code ::

DISTRIB_ID=LinuxMint
DISTRIB_RELEASE=8
RELEASE_NOTES_URL=http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_helena.php
DISTRIB_CODENAME=helena
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Linux Mint 8 Helena - Main Edition"