Linux OS version check

[Fli]

Is there any universal command to check Linux OS distribution name and if its 64bit?

So far i used:

uname -a


(Redhat Enterprise linux (EL) version 5.x and 64 bit)


and harder to remember linux command:

cat /etc/*release



there is also "lsb_release -a" command, but it dont works everywhere

[Hostfinch]

I use cat /etc/*release and usually the results are correct