diff -Nur debsmolt/usr/share/smolt/client/software.py debsmolt2/usr/share/smolt/client/software.py
--- smolt/usr/share/smolt/client/software.py	2007-05-22 23:40:31.000000000 +0200
+++ debsmolt/usr/share/smolt/client/software.py	2007-09-09 11:36:48.000000000 +0200
@@ -26,23 +26,63 @@
     return ''
 
 initdefault_re = re.compile(r':(\d+):initdefault:')
+initdefaultupstart_re = re.compile(r'telinit\D(\d+)')
 
 def read_runlevel():
     defaultRunlevel = 'Unknown'
-    try:
-        inittab = file('/etc/inittab').read()
-        match = initdefault_re.search(inittab)
-        if match:
-            defaultRunlevel = match.group(1)
-    except IOError:
-        sys.stderr.write('Unable to read /etc/inittab.')
+    if os.path.exists('/etc/inittab'):
+        try:
+            inittab = file('/etc/inittab').read()
+            match = initdefault_re.search(inittab)
+            if match:
+                defaultRunlevel = match.group(1)
+        except IOError:
+            sys.stderr.write('Unable to read /etc/inittab.')
+    elif os.path.exists('/etc/event.d/rc-default'):
+        try:
+            upstart = file('/etc/event.d/rc-default').read()
+            match = initdefaultupstart_re.search(upstart)
+            if match:
+                defaultRunlevel = match.group(1)
+        except IOError:  
+            sys.stderr.write('Unable to read /etc/event.d/rc-default.')
     return defaultRunlevel.strip()
 
 def read_os():
     try:
-        return file('/etc/redhat-release').read().strip()
-    except IOError:
-        try:
+        if os.path.exists('/etc/redhat-release'):
+            return file('/etc/redhat-release').read().strip()
+        elif os.path.exists('/etc/SuSE-release'):
             return file('/etc/SuSE-release').read().split('\n')[0].strip()
-        except IOError:
-            return 'Unknown'
+        elif os.path.exists('/etc/lsb-release'):
+            # there is a bug in lsb-release in ubuntu, 
+            # https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lsb-release/+bug/66914
+
+            lsbRelease = file('/etc/lsb-release').read().split('\n')
+            for line in lsbRelease:
+                values = line.split('=', 2)
+                if values[0] == "DISTRIB_ID":
+                    id = values[1]
+                elif values[0] == "DISTRIB_RELEASE":
+                    release = values[1]
+                elif values[0] == "DISTRIB_CODENAME":
+                    codename = values[1]
+            OS = ""
+            if id != "":
+                OS = id.capitalize()
+            if release != "":
+                OS = OS + " " + release
+            if codename != "":
+                OS = OS + " (" + codename.capitalize() + ")"
+            if OS == "":
+                return "Unknown"
+            else:
+                return OS
+        elif os.path.exists('/etc/debian_version'):
+            # Ubuntu also contains debian_version, but lsb-release should be 
+            # considered first
+            return "Debian " + file('/etc/debian_version').read().strip()
+        else:
+            return "Unknown"
+    except IOError:
+        return 'Unknown'