- AlmaLinux OS Foundation announced the final release of the 8.7 version of the operating system, two weeks after the release of the beta.
- AlmaLinux 8.7 delivers the improvements in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.7 release, which AlmaLinux is based on.
- Installation ISO’s of AlmaLinux 8.7 is now available to download for x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, and s390x systems.
One of the successful CentOS alternatives, AlmaLinux, has reached the final state of version 8.7 release, approximately two weeks after the release of the beta. The new version comes with a variety of changes in image builder, security, command line tools, infrastructure services, and programming languages as well as package updates and bug fixes; receiving the changes from upstream Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.7, which AlmaLinux is based on.
Improvements in the image builder
AlmaLinux 8.7 delivers support for uploading images to GCP, customizing the boot partition, pushing a container image directly to a registry, and customizing users’ blueprints during the image creation process for the image builder. On the security side, the DISA STIG (Defense Information Systems Agency – Security Technical Implementation Guide) profile scap-security-guide (SSG) package is now better aligned with DISA’s own content. The CIS (Center for Internet Security) profiles are aligned with CIS AlmaLinux 8 Benchmark version 2.0.0 in the same package as well.
Clevis encryption client can now also unlock LUKS-encrypted volumes that mount late in the booting process without having to use the systemctl enable clevis-luks-askpass.path command during the deployment process, thanks to the changes in the system configuration and clevis-luks-systemd subpackage.
XMLStarlet package is now included in AlmaLinux 8.7, which was also added into AlmaLinux 9.1 Beta. XMLStarlet allows users to parse, transform, query, validate, and edit XML files. The operating system uses Linux kernel 4.18.0-425 and comes with GNOME 3.32.2 desktop environment. It adds the following module streams:
- Ruby 3.1
- Mercurial 6.2
- Node.js 18
The remaining package changes are listed below:
Command-line tools
- opencryptoki 3.18.0
- powerpc-utils 1.3.10
- libva 2.13.0
Infrastructure tools
- chrony 4.2
- unbound 1.16.2
Compilers toolsets
- GCC Toolset 12
- LLVM Toolset 14.0.6
- Rust Toolset 1.62
- Go Toolset 1.18
Performance tools and debuggers
- Valgrind 3.19
- SystemTap 4.7
- Dyninst 12.1.0
- elfutils 0.187
Performance monitoring tools
- PCP 5.3.7
- Grafana 7.5.13
In addition to adding Maven 3.8 module stream in Java tools, AlmaLinux 8.7 delivers new SAP and SAP HANA repositories to the operating system.
AlmaLinux 8.7 is now available to download for x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, and s390x systems; you can use the following links to download the ISO files:
- Download AlmaLinux 8.7 for Intel/AMD (x86_64)
- Download AlmaLinux 8.7 for ARM64 (aarch64)
- Download AlmaLinux 8.7 for IBM PowerPC (ppc64le)
- Download AlmaLinux 8.7 for IBM Z (s390x)
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 install a Linux Distro on VMware Workstation