- AlmaLinux 9.1 “Lime Lynx” arrives at almost the same time as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.1, which AlmaLinux is based on.
- AlmaLinux 9.1 introduces Keylime, a new security-focused tool to enable administrators continuously monitor remote machines.
- The new release also updates SELinux to version 3.4, alongside many packages, and delivers some tweaks for the minimal ISO.
A few days after the release of AlmaLinux 8.7 “Stone Smilodon”, the team behind the operating system announced the release of the 9.1 version. The new version is codenamed Lime Lynx. Like other enterprise-focused Linux distributions, AlmaLinux is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and it was delivered almost at the same time.
Meet Keylime
Since AlmaLinux 9.1 is based on RHEL 9.1, it carries most of the changes. One of the major changes in AlmaLinux 9.1 is the introduction of a new security-focused tool, named Keylime. Keylime is a remote machine attestation tool that utilizes the TPM (Trusted Platform Module) technology, allowing continuous monitoring and verification of the integrity of remote machines.
In addition to the Keylime tool, AlmaLinux 9.1 updates SELinux to version 3.4, which improves relabeling performance through parallel relabeling, brings support for SHA-256 in the semodule tool, and adds new policy utilities in the libsepol-utils package. Clevis encryption client can 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.
The new version brings NetworkManager support for migration connection profiles from the deprecated ifcfg format to keyfile format. The NetworkManager now also indicates that WEP support is not available in AlmaLinux 9 series. Additionally, the MultiPath TCP code in the kernel is updated.
Updated packages
AlmaLinux 9.1 also delivers the new XMLStarlet package to the system, which allows users to parse, transform, query, validate, and edit XML files. The following development tools and database servers are available as new module streams in AlmaLinux 9.1:
- PHP 8.1
- Ruby 3.1
- Node.js 18
- Apache HTTP Server 2.4.53
The new version of AlmaLinux brings many package updates to other components too. Here are the most noticeable ones:
Command-line tools
- opencryptoki 3.18.0
- powerpc-utils 1.3.10
- libvpd 2.2.9
- lsvpd 1.7.14
- ppc64-diag 2.7.8
Infrastructure tools
- chrony to version 4.2
- unbound to version 1.16.2
- frr to version 8.2.2
Compilers
- 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
The minimal ISO file of AlmaLinux 9.1 received some tweaks. OpenSCAP profiles are now available during installation and rsyslog package is now included in the Minimal install class. Finally, it brings the kernel-modules-extra package to support a wider range of hardware.
Kernel 5.14 under the hood
The new version of the operating system utilizes Linux kernel 5.14.0.162 version. If you want to see the full changelog in AlmaLinux 9.1, you can check the upstream RHEL 9.1 notes since AlmaLinux is based on RHEL.
AlmaLinux 9.1 “Lime Lynx” is now available for x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, and s390x systems with three different ISO versions:
- Boot: Installation over the network that downloads packages over the Internet
- Minimal: Minimum possible offline installation
- DVD: Full offline installation
Download AlmaLinux 9.1
You can follow the link below to see the mirror list and download a suitable AlmaLinux 9.1 ISO for your system:
Click here to download AlmaLinux 9.1
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