- AlmaLinux 8.7 Beta “Stone Smilodon” is now available for x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, and s390x architectures.
- The AlmaLinux 8.7 Beta provides a more stable foundation for open hybrid cloud innovation, new enhancements, and features.
- New enhancements include adding several system roles and the web console new options and features.
The AlmaLinux team announced the release of the beta version of AlmaLinux 8.7 “Stone Smilodon” for x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, and s390x architectures. Installation ISOs can be downloaded from mirrors now. The AlmaLinux team also warned users that this is a beta release, so it shouldn’t be used for production installations.
Ready for test
AlmaLinux 8.7 beta allows users to test to see how things will work in AlmaLinux 8.7 stable. The new version provides a more stable foundation for open hybrid cloud innovation, new enhancements, and features to deliver workloads, applications, and services for multiple environments more efficiently, security features and updates for risk reduction, and better compliance maintenance.
Here are some noteworthy changes in AlmaLinux 8.7:
New package
- XMLStarlet
New module streams
- Ruby 3.1
- Mercurial 6.2
- Node.js 18
Updated module stream
- Redis 6 to version 6.2.7
Updated command-line tools
- opencryptoki 3.18.0
- powerpc-utils 1.3.10
- libva to 2.13.0
Updated infrastructure services tools
- chrony 4.2
- unbound to version 1.16.2
Minimal ISO changes
- OpenSCAP profiles are available during install
- rsyslog package is now part of the Minimal install class
- kernel-modules-extra package is included to support more hardware
Other changes
- The system configuration and the clevis-luks-systemd subpackage changes enable the Clevis encryption client to unlock also LUKS-encrypted volumes that mount late in the boot process without using the systemctl enable clevis-luks-askpass.path command during the deployment process.
AlmaLinux 8.7 is also coming with a new automation and management functionality that makes additional manual task automation, performs standard deployment processes at scale easier, and simplifies day-to-day system management. AlmaLinux 8.7 introduces several system roles and the web console new options and features. Sigstore technology was built into the container tooling. The beta also removes many RHEL and vendor-specific packages.
You can follow the link below to download the beta version of AlmaLinux 8.7 for aarch64, pcc64le, s390x, and x86-64 systems:
Click here to download AlmaLinux 8.7 beta
FAQ
What are the latest AlmaLinux versions?
The latest version in AlmaLinux 8 series is 8.7 "Stone Smilodon" which was released on 10 November 2022, and in 9 series is 9.1 "Lime Lynx" released on 16 November 2022.
How long will AlmaLinux be supported?
AlmaLinux 8.X versions will be supported until 2029 and AlmaLinux 9.X versions will be supported until 2032.
Is AlmaLinux free?
Yes, AlmaLinux is a completely free and open-source Linux distribution.
Is AlmaLinux lightweight?
Yes, AlmaLinux is a lightweight and strong enterprise-focused Linux distribution.
Who owns AlmaLinux?
AlmaLinux is a community-driven Linux operating system. The AlmaLinux OS Foundation is a non-profit organization created for the benefit of the AlmaLinux OS community.
Is AlmaLinux same as RHEL?
Yes, AlmaLinux is an RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) fork and is 1:1 binary compatible with it.
Is AlmaLinux same as CentOS?
Yes, AlmaLinux is one of the best CentOS alternatives and is 1:1 binary compatible with its pre-Stream version.
Is AlmaLinux good for servers?
AlmaLinux is an enterprise-focused Linux distribution that delivers a variety of tools for use on servers.
Does AlmaLinux have a desktop environment?
Yes, AlmaLinux has a desktop environment. It comes with GNOME by default. You can install any other desktop environments according to your needs.
Can AlmaLinux be installed on a virtual machine?
Yes, AlmaLinux can be installed on a virtual machine. A virtual machine (VM) allows you to run an operating system within another operating system. This means that you can install AlmaLinux on a virtual machine and run it on top of your current operating system, without the need to replace it or partition your hard drive. To install AlmaLinux on VMWare, you can refer to our article: How to create VM and install a Linux distro on VMWare Workstation