Travis CI default dist uncertainty

Which default Linux distribution does Travis CI apply when the `dist` key is omitted in `.travis.yml`?

0 reputation · 13 Feb 2025, 19:29 UTC

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The goal is to guarantee repeatable builds by understanding which base image Travis CI selects when a `.travis.yml` file does not explicitly declare a `dist` value.

Travis CI’s default distribution is not fixed; it has shifted from Trusty to Xenial to Focal and may vary depending on the age of the account or internal updates, making builds non‑repeatable if the field is left unspecified.

What is the current default distribution for newly created accounts? How can a user determine the default `dist` that Travis CI will use for their repository? Does explicitly setting `dist` eliminate variability across time and account age?

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To determine which distribution is currently being applied to a repository without a dist key, the most reliable method is to inspect the build logs. Travis CI typically prints the environment details during the initialization phase of the job.

Practical Verification

If the logs are unclear, you can force the environment to reveal its version by adding a temporary script step to your .travis.yml:

script:
  - cat /etc/os-release

This command outputs the specific Ubuntu version and codename (e.g., VERSION_CODENAME=focal) currently in use. While newer accounts generally default to Ubuntu Focal (20.04), legacy accounts may still be pinned to Xenial (16.04) or Bionic (18.04) based on the repository's creation date. Explicitly defining the dist key is the only way to prevent the environment from shifting during platform-wide updates.

Which default Linux distribution does Travis CI apply when the `dist` key is omitted in `.travis.yml`?

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Practical Verification