AlmaLinux

AlmaLinux

AlmaLinux is a free, community-maintained Linux distribution that is binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). It was created in 2021 in response to the changes in the CentOS project and is developed and maintained by the nonprofit AlmaLinux OS Foundation.

Origin and Community

When Red Hat announced the discontinuation of CentOS Linux in favor of CentOS Stream, a widespread need emerged in the community for a stable, free RHEL alternative. AlmaLinux was initiated by CloudLinux and quickly adopted by a growing community of developers, companies, and users. The AlmaLinux OS Foundation governs the project independently and transparently—without commercial interests taking precedence.

Binary Compatibility with RHEL

AlmaLinux is fully binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. This means that software, packages, and configurations developed for RHEL run on AlmaLinux without modification. This makes the distribution particularly attractive for organizations that want to rely on a stable, RHEL-compatible system without entering into commercial support contracts.

Use Cases

AlmaLinux is designed for server and data center operations and is suitable for a broad range of enterprise applications:

• Web servers and application servers – stable foundation for production services
• Databases – proven environment for PostgreSQL, MySQL and other RDBMS
• Virtualization and Containers – compatible with KVM, Podman, and Kubernetes
• HPC and scientific applications – established in many research environments due to RHEL compatibility
• Migration from CentOS – AlmaLinux offers an official migration path from CentOS 7 and CentOS 8

Long-Term Support and Security

AlmaLinux follows the RHEL release cycle and provides a support period of up to ten years for each major version. Security updates are delivered promptly; the AlmaLinux ELevate project also provides a tool for in-place upgrades between major versions. Additionally, AlmaLinux offers FIPS 140-3 and STIG certifications as options for security-critical and regulated environments.

Professional Support for AlmaLinux

credativ® supports you in operating AlmaLinux systems—from initial planning and migration through system hardening to ongoing support. Contact us if you are looking for a stable, RHEL-compatible open-source platform with professional backing.

Logo source:

Unknown author – https://web.archive.org/web/20250306132947/https://almalinux.org/images/logo.svg using the text color from https://web.archive.org/web/20250304031401/https://forums.almalinux.org/uploads/default/original/2X/c/c2183bf1aabdefc3f15f4bfea0ff589ae153a9c0.png, Public Domain, Link