How do I know which release I have?

[Kipton Moravec]

How do I find out what release I have?  The About Ubuntu sends me to a
website.

I use Snaptic Package Manager to get upgrades every month. Can it (or
does it) also get the latest version of Ubuntu?

Finally, does loading a new version kill everything I already have setup
on my computer? Like home directory, samba, networking, email archives,
etc?

-- 
Kipton Moravec <kip at kdream.com>