diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index c86f8e82b..1ece97dec 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ func doRunCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) int {
 	}
 	defer stereoscope.Cleanup()
 
+	log.Info("Identifying Distro")
+	distro, err := imgbom.IdentifyDistro(img)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("error identifying Distro: %w", err)
+	} else {
+		log.Info("  Distro: %s", distro)
+	}
+
 	log.Info("Cataloging image")
 	catalog, err := imgbom.CatalogImage(img, appConfig.ScopeOpt)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 0cdce0b6d..261b4de52 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/google/go-containerregistry v0.0.0-20200521151920-a873a21aff23 // indirect
 	github.com/gopherjs/gopherjs v0.0.0-20190910122728-9d188e94fb99 // indirect
 	github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror v1.1.0
+	github.com/hashicorp/go-version v1.2.0
 	github.com/mitchellh/go-homedir v1.1.0
 	github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure v1.3.1
 	github.com/sergi/go-diff v1.1.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index ed50c7c70..0c6d2ae02 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -238,6 +238,8 @@ github.com/hashicorp/go-sockaddr v1.0.0/go.mod h1:7Xibr9yA9JjQq1JpNB2Vw7kxv8xerX
 github.com/hashicorp/go-syslog v1.0.0/go.mod h1:qPfqrKkXGihmCqbJM2mZgkZGvKG1dFdvsLplgctolz4=
 github.com/hashicorp/go-uuid v1.0.0/go.mod h1:6SBZvOh/SIDV7/2o3Jml5SYk/TvGqwFJ/bN7x4byOro=
 github.com/hashicorp/go-uuid v1.0.1/go.mod h1:6SBZvOh/SIDV7/2o3Jml5SYk/TvGqwFJ/bN7x4byOro=
+github.com/hashicorp/go-version v1.2.0 h1:3vNe/fWF5CBgRIguda1meWhsZHy3m8gCJ5wx+dIzX/E=
+github.com/hashicorp/go-version v1.2.0/go.mod h1:fltr4n8CU8Ke44wwGCBoEymUuxUHl09ZGVZPK5anwXA=
 github.com/hashicorp/go.net v0.0.1/go.mod h1:hjKkEWcCURg++eb33jQU7oqQcI9XDCnUzHA0oac0k90=
 github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru v0.5.0/go.mod h1:/m3WP610KZHVQ1SGc6re/UDhFvYD7pJ4Ao+sR/qLZy8=
 github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru v0.5.1/go.mod h1:/m3WP610KZHVQ1SGc6re/UDhFvYD7pJ4Ao+sR/qLZy8=
diff --git a/imgbom/constants.go b/imgbom/constants.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 1e64632ee..000000000
--- a/imgbom/constants.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-package imgbom
-
-// note: must be a single word, all lowercase
-const LibraryName = "imgbom"
diff --git a/imgbom/distro/distro.go b/imgbom/distro/distro.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9e23364d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/imgbom/distro/distro.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package distro
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	hashiVer "github.com/hashicorp/go-version"
+)
+
+type Distro struct {
+	Type    Type
+	Version *hashiVer.Version
+}
+
+func NewDistro(t Type, ver string) (Distro, error) {
+	verObj, err := hashiVer.NewVersion(ver)
+	if err != nil {
+		return Distro{}, fmt.Errorf("could not create distro version: %w", err)
+	}
+	return Distro{
+		Type:    t,
+		Version: verObj,
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func (d Distro) MajorVersion() int {
+	return d.Version.Segments()[0]
+}
+
+func (d Distro) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", d.Type, d.Version)
+}
diff --git a/imgbom/distro/identify.go b/imgbom/distro/identify.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5468b4ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/imgbom/distro/identify.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package distro
+
+import (
+	"github.com/anchore/stereoscope/pkg/image"
+)
+
+func Identify(img *image.Image) (Distro, error) {
+	// TODO: implement me based off of https://github.com/anchore/anchore-engine/blob/78b23d7e8f007005c070673405b5e23730a660e0/anchore_engine/analyzers/utils.py#L131
+
+	return NewDistro(UnknownDistro, "0.0.0")
+}
diff --git a/imgbom/distro/type.go b/imgbom/distro/type.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..49f1742b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/imgbom/distro/type.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package distro
+
+const (
+	UnknownDistro Type = iota
+	Debian
+	// Ubuntu
+	// RedHat
+	// CentOS
+	// Fedora
+	// Alpine
+	// Busybox
+	// AmazonLinux
+	// OracleLinux
+	// ArchLinux
+)
+
+type Type int
+
+var distroStr = []string{
+	"UnknownDistro",
+	"Debian",
+	// "Ubuntu",
+	// "RedHat",
+	// "CentOS",
+	// "Fedora",
+	// "Alpine",
+	// "Busybox",
+	// "AmazonLinux",
+	// "OracleLinux",
+	// "ArchLinux",
+}
+
+var All = []Type{
+	Debian,
+	// Ubuntu,
+	// RedHat,
+	// CentOS,
+	// Fedora,
+	// Alpine,
+	// Busybox,
+	// AmazonLinux,
+	// OracleLinux,
+	// ArchLinux,
+}
+
+func (t Type) String() string {
+	if int(t) >= len(distroStr) || t < 0 {
+		return distroStr[0]
+	}
+
+	return distroStr[t]
+}
diff --git a/imgbom/catalog_image.go b/imgbom/lib.go
similarity index 57%
rename from imgbom/catalog_image.go
rename to imgbom/lib.go
index 458b3594a..036149103 100644
--- a/imgbom/catalog_image.go
+++ b/imgbom/lib.go
@@ -2,19 +2,27 @@ package imgbom
 
 import (
 	"github.com/anchore/imgbom/imgbom/analyzer"
+	"github.com/anchore/imgbom/imgbom/distro"
+	"github.com/anchore/imgbom/imgbom/logger"
 	"github.com/anchore/imgbom/imgbom/pkg"
 	"github.com/anchore/imgbom/imgbom/scope"
+	"github.com/anchore/imgbom/internal/log"
 	"github.com/anchore/stereoscope/pkg/image"
 )
 
-// TODO: add os detection results as return value
+func IdentifyDistro(img *image.Image) (distro.Distro, error) {
+	return distro.Identify(img)
+}
+
 func CatalogImage(img *image.Image, o scope.Option) (*pkg.Catalog, error) {
 	s, err := scope.NewScope(img, o)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// TODO: add OS detection here...
-
 	return analyzer.Analyze(s)
 }
+
+func SetLogger(logger logger.Logger) {
+	log.Log = logger
+}
diff --git a/imgbom/log.go b/imgbom/log.go
deleted file mode 100644
index ac2d5d4d1..000000000
--- a/imgbom/log.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-package imgbom
-
-import (
-	"github.com/anchore/imgbom/imgbom/logger"
-	"github.com/anchore/imgbom/internal/log"
-)
-
-func SetLogger(logger logger.Logger) {
-	log.Log = logger
-}