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Rocky Linux
Rocky Linux
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Rocky Linux
Rocky Linux 10.0, showing its desktop environment GNOME 47.
Rocky Linux 10.0, showing its desktop environment GNOME 47.
DeveloperRocky Enterprise Software Foundation
OS familyLinux (Unix-like)
Working stateCurrent
Source modelOpen source
Initial release1 May 2021; 4 years ago (2021-05-01)
Latest release
10:10.0 / June 11, 2025; 4 months ago (2025-06-11)
9:9.6 / June 4, 2025; 4 months ago (2025-06-04)
8:8.10 / May 30, 2024; 17 months ago (2024-05-30)
Repositorygit.rockylinux.org
Marketing targetDesktop computers, servers, supercomputers
Package managerRPM (DNF), Flatpak — graphical front-ends: GNOME Software, dnfdragora
Supported platformsx86-64-v2,[1] ARM64, RISC-V, ppc64le, s390x
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux)
UserlandGNU
Default
user interface
GNOME Shell, Bash
License3-clause BSD and various free software licenses, plus proprietary firmware files
Preceded byCentOS
Official websiterockylinux.org Edit this at Wikidata

Rocky Linux is a free and open source Linux distribution developed by Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation, which is a privately owned benefit corporation that describes itself as a "self-imposed not-for-profit".[2] It is intended to be a downstream, complete binary-compatible release using the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) operating system source code.[3] The project's aim is to provide a community-supported, production-grade enterprise operating system. Rocky Linux, along with RHEL, has become popular for enterprise operating system use.[4][5]

The first release candidate version of Rocky Linux was released on April 30, 2021, and its first general availability version was released on June 21, 2021. Rocky Linux 8 will be supported through May 2029,[6] Rocky Linux 9 through May 2032,[7] and Rocky Linux 10 through May 2035.

History

[edit]

On December 8, 2020, Red Hat announced that they would discontinue development of CentOS, which had been a production-ready downstream version of RHEL, in favor of a newer upstream development variant of that operating system known as CentOS Stream.[8] In response, Gregory Kurtzer, CEO of CIQ[9] (a Rocky Linux support provider) and one of the original founders of CentOS, announced that he would start a new project to achieve the original goals of CentOS.[10][11][12] Its name was chosen as a tribute to early CentOS co-founder Rocky McGaugh.[3] By December 12, the code repository[13] of Rocky Linux had become the top-trending repository on GitHub.[14]

On December 22, 2020, Rocky Linux community manager Jordan Pisaniello announced that the target for an initial release was anywhere between March and May of 2021.[15] On January 20, 2021, it was announced that a test repository would be made available to the public by the end of February, and a release candidate was on target for the end of March 2021.[16] However, that date was slightly pushed back,[17] and on April 30, 2021, the first release candidate was officially released.[18] The second release candidate, of version 8.4, the last before the stable release, was released on June 4, 2021.[19] The high version number is based on the designation of RHEL. Rocky Linux is a clone of RHEL, which is also binary-compatible and is already supported by numerous large, financially strong sponsors.[20] On June 21, 2021, the stable release of Rocky Linux 8.4 was released,[21] with the code name "Green Obsidian".[22]

Rocky Linux 9.0 was released on July 14, 2022, alongside a new reproducible build system called "Peridot", created to ensure the community can easily create new RHEL forks if Rocky Linux ever were to be discontinued, and to allow the Rocky Linux project to make new releases faster.[23][24] Rocky Linux 9.0 is also the first version to support little-endian PowerPC processors and IBM Z (s390x) mainframes.[1]

Rocky Linux 10.0 "Red Quartz" was released on June 11, 2025.[25]

Releases

[edit]

Some of the ISO images released by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation have no direct upstream equivalents. They are created for specific purposes, such as for providing a live bootable image, or for providing a reduced-size installation medium.[26]

Rocky Linux version Code Name Architectures RHEL base Kernel Rocky Linux release date RHEL release date Delay (days)
Unsupported: 8.3 Green Obsidian[22] x86-64, ARM64 8.3 4.18.0-240 2021-05-01[27] 2020-11-03[28] 179[note 1]
Unsupported: 8.4 8.4 4.18.0-305 2021-06-21[29] 2021-05-18[28] 34
Unsupported: 8.5 8.5 4.18.0-348 2021-11-15[30] 2021-11-09[28] 6
Unsupported: 8.6 8.6 4.18.0-372.9.1 2022-05-16[31] 2022-05-10[28] 6
Unsupported: 8.7 8.7 4.18.0-425.3.1 2022-11-14[32] 2022-11-09[28] 5
Unsupported: 8.8 8.8 4.18.0-477.10.1 2023-05-20[33] 2023-05-16[28] 4
Unsupported: 8.9 8.9 4.18.0-513.5.1 2023-11-22[34] 2023-11-14[28] 8
Supported: 8.10 8.10 4.18.0-553 2024-05-30[35] 2024-05-22[28] 8
Unsupported: 9.0 Blue Onyx[22] x86-64-v2,[1] ARM64, ppc64le, s390x 9.0 5.14.0-70.13.1 2022-07-14[36] 2022-05-17[28] 58
Unsupported: 9.1 9.1 5.14.0-162.6.1 2022-11-26[37] 2022-11-15[28] 11
Unsupported: 9.2 9.2 5.14.0-284.11.1 2023-05-16[38] 2023-05-10[28] 6
Unsupported: 9.3 9.3 5.14.0-362.8.1 2023-11-20[39] 2023-11-07[28] 13
Unsupported: 9.4 9.4 5.14.0-427.13.1 2024-05-09[40] 2024-04-30[28] 9
Unsupported: 9.5 9.5 5.14.0-503.14.1 2024-11-19[41] 2024-11-12[28] 7
Supported: 9.6 9.6 5.14.0-570.17.1 2025-06-04[42] 2025-05-20[28] 15
Latest version: 10.0 Red Quartz[22] x86-64-v3, ARM64, ppc64le, s390x, riscv64 10.0 6.12.0-55.12.1 2025-06-11[43] 2025-05-20[28] 22
Legend:
Unsupported
Supported
Latest version

See also

[edit]

Notes and references

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Rocky Linux is an open-source, community-driven enterprise operating system designed to be 100% bug-for-bug compatible with (RHEL), providing a stable, production-ready with a 10-year support lifecycle at no cost. It rebuilds directly from RHEL sources to ensure full compatibility for enterprise workloads, including support for architectures such as x86_64, , ppc64le, s390x, and recently added . As of November 2025, the latest general availability release is Rocky Linux 10.1, released in November 2025, with ongoing support for versions 9.7 (November 2025) and earlier releases like 8.10. Rocky Linux was founded in December 2020 by Gregory Kurtzer, a co-founder of the original project, in direct response to Red Hat's announcement that it would discontinue the traditional Linux distribution in favor of , a rolling-release model upstream of RHEL. The project's name pays tribute to Rocky McGaugh, an early co-founder who had passed away, and its repository quickly became one of the top-trending projects worldwide by December 12, 2020. The first stable release, version 8.4 codenamed "Green Obsidian," arrived on June 21, 2021, marking the project's commitment to recreating a downstream, binary-compatible version of RHEL to fulfill the original goals of as a free alternative for production environments. Governed by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF), a non-profit organization, Rocky Linux emphasizes open governance, public contributions, and adherence to the Open Source Principles, earning recognition as a Digital Public Good in 2024. The distribution supports a wide ecosystem of packages via repositories, including security updates and errata synchronized with RHEL, and is available in various formats such as installation media, containers, cloud images, and live ISOs for x86_64 and architectures. Its community-driven model fosters collaboration among sponsors, partners, and users, ensuring long-term sustainability without vendor lock-in.

Overview

Definition and Purpose

Rocky Linux is a community-driven, open-source enterprise operating system designed for stability and long-term deployment in production environments. It is developed under the oversight of the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF), which organizes efforts to deliver enterprise-grade software solutions through collaborative open-source practices. The primary purpose of Rocky Linux is to offer a free, binary-compatible alternative to (RHEL), enabling users to access enterprise-grade functionality without proprietary or subscription costs. This initiative aligns with RESF's mission to build a global focused on developing secure, stable, and integral open-source solutions for enterprise needs, while promoting knowledge sharing, inclusivity, and cross-sector collaboration. Central to its design is a commitment to bug-for-bug compatibility with RHEL, ensuring that applications, hardware support, and system behaviors remain identical to those in the upstream distribution. In the broader Linux ecosystem, Rocky Linux serves as a response to evolving dynamics in proprietary distributions, providing a stable, community-led option for organizations seeking reliable open-source alternatives.

Compatibility Model

Rocky Linux achieves bug-for-bug compatibility with (RHEL) through an exact replication of RHEL's rebuild process, resulting in identical binaries, configurations, and behaviors. This approach ensures that Rocky Linux mirrors RHEL's functionality, including any existing bugs, to provide enterprise-grade predictability and reliability without introducing deviations. The rebuild process utilizes RHEL obtained from multiple public sources, including repositories, pristine upstream packages, and RHEL source RPMs (SRPMs), which are then compiled into Rocky Linux packages without any modifications. By adhering strictly to this unmodified rebuild methodology, Rocky Linux maintains 100% compatibility while leveraging distribution channels to access the necessary code. This compatibility model has significant implications for users, enabling seamless migration from RHEL or Linux via straightforward tools and scripts that replace repositories and update packages with minimal disruption. It also allows Rocky Linux to support RHEL-certified hardware and software ecosystems, permitting organizations to avoid RHEL's subscription costs while retaining full access to compatible enterprise tools and applications. In contrast to upstream RHEL, which incorporates proprietary additions from , Rocky Linux excludes these elements to ensure complete openness, with all components distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) and other licenses. This focus on pure distribution promotes community accessibility and modifiability without commercial restrictions.

History

Founding

Rocky Linux was announced on December 8, 2020, by Gregory Kurtzer, the co-founder of the original project, in direct response to 's simultaneous announcement that it would discontinue Linux and transition to as a rolling-release development platform. This shift by , which accelerated the end-of-life for 8 to December 31, 2021, left a void for enterprises and developers seeking a stable, binary-compatible alternative to (RHEL) without the upstream volatility of . Kurtzer named the project after his late co-founder Rocky McGaugh, aiming to recreate the community-driven, production-ready RHEL clone that had originally provided. To provide a structured and sustainable framework for the project, Kurtzer established the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF) as a non-profit organization dedicated to overseeing Rocky Linux's development and ensuring its long-term viability. Founded in early , RESF was designed to foster balanced community governance while accommodating enterprise needs, vendors, and commercial interests, thereby protecting the project's independence and promoting open-source principles. The foundation positioned itself as the host for Rocky Linux, handling legal, financial, and organizational aspects to allow the technical community to focus on building a reliable operating system. The project's launch quickly attracted a robust early team, drawing heavily from former CentOS contributors who shared Kurtzer's vision for a stable RHEL-compatible distribution. Within days of the announcement, over 650 volunteers had expressed interest in contributing, signaling strong community support and the rapid assembly of developers experienced in RHEL ecosystem tooling and packaging. This influx of talent from the CentOS diaspora, combined with new volunteers, laid the groundwork for collaborative efforts on , where the repository became one of the platform's top-trending projects by mid-December 2020.

Major Milestones

The first release candidate of Rocky Linux was made available on April 30, 2021, initiating a structured testing phase for the distribution's initial version and allowing early community feedback on compatibility and stability. This milestone followed the project's announcement in late 2020 and represented a critical step toward delivering a viable alternative to Linux. Subsequently, on June 21, 2021, Rocky Linux 8.4 achieved general availability as the project's inaugural stable release, supporting both x86_64 and ARM64 architectures and establishing its bug-for-bug compatibility with . This release marked the transition from development to production readiness, enabling widespread adoption in enterprise environments. In 2022, the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF) underwent significant organizational evolution, including the election of its first from December 7 to 21, which formalized and expanded representation to include project leaders and industry experts. Concurrently, partnerships such as with CIQ for and build support were solidified, providing enhanced resources for and cloud deployments. These changes strengthened the foundation's ability to sustain long-term development. By 2025, Rocky Linux had advanced to major version releases, with Rocky Linux 9 launched on July 14, 2022, introducing a new reproducible build system called to verify integrity. On March 12, 2025, the RESF endorsed the Open Source Principles, reinforcing the project's commitment to open governance. The release of Rocky Linux 10 on June 11, 2025, further enhanced ARM64 support alongside initial official compatibility for architectures, following an announcement of RISC-V support on May 21, 2025, and deeper integrations with cloud providers like Google Cloud and AWS for seamless deployment. Amid these achievements, Rocky Linux navigated key challenges, including legal clarifications in 2023 regarding access to Red Hat's following restrictions on non-GPL components; the project affirmed its rights under open-source licenses to obtain necessary binaries via alternative channels like . This resolution, combined with robust community expansion to over 5,000 contributors, underscored the distribution's resilience and growing ecosystem.

Technical Features

Core Components

Rocky Linux employs the upstream versions that align with those in (RHEL) for each major release, ensuring binary compatibility and stability through backported patches rather than adopting every upstream change. For instance, Rocky Linux 9 utilizes kernel version 5.14 with stability-focused backports, while Rocky Linux 10 defaults to kernel 6.12.0, incorporating selective enhancements for enterprise reliability without introducing upstream instability. The distribution's package management system relies on DNF (Dandified YUM) as the primary tool, with YUM maintained as a compatibility alias for legacy scripts and commands. Repositories are structured to mirror RHEL exactly, enabling seamless integration with EPEL for additional community packages and for modular application streams, thus preserving dependency resolution and update paths. At its foundation, Rocky Linux is built around RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) for software packaging and distribution, which handles installation, updates, and verification of binaries and libraries. The system initializes via , the default service and process manager that oversees boot processes, service dependencies, and resource control in a unified manner. Workstation variants include optional spins featuring as the standard or KDE Plasma for users preferring its customizable interface. Hardware compatibility in Rocky Linux spans multiple architectures, including x86_64-v3 (for Haswell or equivalent or later processors), (ARM64) for ARM-based systems, ppc64le for Power little-endian platforms, s390x for mainframes, and riscv64 for systems, with built-in drivers supporting enterprise-grade hardware from vendors like and . This multi-architecture support facilitates deployment across diverse server and cloud environments while maintaining RHEL-equivalent driver integration.

Security and Stability

Rocky Linux incorporates robust security features inherited from its compatibility with (RHEL), including SELinux enabled by default in enforcing mode to provide that confines processes and limits potential damage from exploits. serves as the default firewall management tool, offering dynamic zone-based configuration for network traffic control and simplifying rule management through command-line or graphical interfaces. The distribution synchronizes its security patching with RHEL via the Rocky Linux Security Advisories (RLSA) system, ensuring timely remediation of (CVEs) through backported fixes that maintain package stability. To enhance stability, Rocky Linux employs a point release model, delivering minor updates that incorporate bug fixes and patches without introducing upstream changes that could disrupt binary compatibility or application workflows. This approach prioritizes long-term reliability, with each major version receiving 10 years of support, including five years of full updates followed by extended maintenance. For auditing and compliance, Rocky Linux supports paths to certification, particularly for versions 8 and 9, enabling organizations to meet cryptographic standards for sensitive environments through validated modules. It also integrates OpenSCAP for automated compliance scanning, allowing users to evaluate systems against standards like DISA profiles directly from official repositories. A distinctive aspect of Rocky Linux's is its -driven errata process, managed by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF) in with CIQ, which utilizes the Apollo system to generate and distribute patches more rapidly for non-critical issues while upholding RHEL equivalence. This open process fosters transparency and quicker contributions to resolution.

Releases

Version Timeline

Rocky Linux maintains a release cadence closely aligned with , issuing major versions approximately every three years to ensure binary compatibility and feature parity. Point releases within each major series deliver incremental updates, primarily addressing bug fixes, security vulnerabilities, and minor enhancements, with updates typically occurring every six months—for example, the Rocky Linux 8 series progressed from 8.5 through 8.10. The project initially focused on x86_64 architecture support, expanding to beginning with Rocky Linux 8.5 in November 2021 and adding ppc64le support starting with Rocky Linux 9.0 in July 2022. The first stable release, Rocky Linux 8.4, marked the project's general availability milestone in June 2021.
VersionRelease DateArchitecturesKey Notes
8.4June 21, 2021x86_64Initial stable release, derived from RHEL 8.4.
8.10May 31, 2024x86_64, aarch64Final point release in the 8 series, incorporating cumulative security and stability updates.
9.0July 14, 2022x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, s390xMajor version introducing expanded architecture support.
9.4May 9, 2024x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, s390xPoint release with updated packages and security fixes.
9.5November 19, 2024x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, s390xPoint release including Podman 5.0, Cockpit file management, and updates to Apache, Node.js, GCC.
9.6June 4, 2025x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, s390xPoint release with security fixes and package enhancements.
10.0June 11, 2025x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, s390x, riscv64Major version introducing official RISC-V (riscv64) support, raising x86_64 baseline to v3, and removing 32-bit packages.

Support Policies

Rocky Linux provides a structured support lifecycle for its major versions, ensuring long-term stability and security for users. Each major release receives 10 years of total support, divided into two primary phases: 5 years of full support followed by 5 years of maintenance support. This policy aligns with the upstream (RHEL) timelines to maintain binary compatibility, though Rocky Linux does not include an extended life phase beyond the initial 10 years. During the full support phase, which lasts the first 5 years and includes minor releases every 6 months (typically in May and November), Rocky Linux delivers comprehensive updates encompassing fixes, bug resolutions, new features, and software rebases. This phase concludes with the .10 minor version (e.g., 8.10 or 9.10), after which the distribution transitions to support. In the , support focuses on updates and critical fixes, without introducing new features or major rebases, extending usability for legacy deployments until the end-of-life (EOL) date. At EOL, typically 10 years from the major version's release (e.g., Rocky Linux 8 reaches EOL on May 31, 2029), no further updates are provided, and users are encouraged to migrate to a supported version. Updates are disseminated through errata releases synchronized closely with upstream sources, appearing on official mirrors within 24-48 hours for critical patches and within 7 days for minor releases. Users can apply these updates using package management tools such as DNF, which supports automated upgrades via commands like dnf update to keep systems current without manual intervention. This mechanism ensures seamless integration across deployment environments. The support policy applies uniformly to official variants, including Server, , and Minimal installations, providing consistent lifecycle coverage for enterprise and desktop use cases. -maintained , however, may adhere to different support schedules determined by their respective maintainers, potentially offering shorter or extended timelines based on project needs.

Community and Ecosystem

Development Process

Rocky Linux's development is governed by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF), a non-profit established to provide structured oversight for community-driven open-source like Rocky Linux. The RESF , elected by members including project representatives and independents, handles high-level decisions, with the Rocky Linux holding four dedicated seats on the board. Key governance occurs through public mailing lists hosted at lists.resf.org, such as rocky-devel for technical discussions and rocky-board for oversight matters, ensuring community input on policy and direction. Additionally, Special Interest Groups (SIGs) focus on specialized areas like infrastructure, packaging, cloud services, and alternative architectures, with each SIG required to report quarterly on progress and maintain public minutes of meetings and decisions to promote accountability. Contributions to Rocky Linux follow a standard open-source using -based repositories hosted on and git.resf.org. Developers repositories, create feature branches for changes, and submit pull requests for review and integration into the main branches, adhering to guidelines that emphasize code quality and compatibility. For rebuilding packages from (RHEL) sources, the project employs and () pipelines, including tools like for cloud-native builds and traditional systems such as Koji for automated testing and package creation, ensuring binary compatibility without altering upstream code. These pipelines run on dedicated infrastructure to verify builds across architectures and release cycles. The project is funded primarily through public donations collected via the official donation portal, which supports operational costs like and development tools, alongside sponsorships from organizations such as CIQ, a founding sponsor that provides resources including build farms for operations. A global network of volunteer developers contributes , , and testing, with no central corporate control, aligning with RESF's emphasis on community-led . Transparency is a core tenet, with all board and SIG meetings documented publicly, full source code available under open licenses, and adherence to principles like those of the in promoting merit-based participation and open collaboration. RESF's charter, adopted in 2022, formalizes these practices to maintain accessibility and prevent proprietary influences. Since its launch in June 2021, Rocky Linux has experienced rapid growth as a community-driven alternative to (RHEL), particularly following the end-of-life of 8 in December 2021. According to telemetry data from Fedora's Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) repositories, Rocky Linux has become the most widely used enterprise among RHEL variants, surpassing alternatives like and in new installations and migrations. As of November 2025, over 1.4 million Rocky Linux instances are reported worldwide, with an average of 250,000 monthly downloads, reflecting strong uptake in both cloud environments such as AWS and Azure, and on-premises servers. Key adopters have included major enterprises migrating from CentOS, such as and Vanderbilt University's Advanced Computing Center for Research and Education (ACCRE), which launched a Rocky Linux 9 pre-production environment in January 2025 for enhanced security and stability in research computing. In comparisons to , another prominent RHEL clone, Rocky Linux is often favored for its strict 1:1 binary compatibility with RHEL and faster rebuild processes, leading to higher download volumes and preference in environments requiring exact replication of RHEL behavior. Rocky Linux has seen dominant usage in sectors like web hosting, where it contributes to the broader 58.1% of Linux-based operating systems for websites, serving as a stable, cost-free RHEL alternative for VPS and dedicated servers. It is also prominent in (HPC), with integration into the OpenHPC toolkit enabling painless cluster management for scientific simulations and AI workloads. Additionally, its native compatibility with container tools like Podman supports widespread adoption in containerized environments for and . User feedback from 2023 to 2025 highlights high satisfaction with Rocky Linux's stability, earning an overall rating of 4.3 out of 5. However, challenges include a relatively smaller compared to general-purpose distributions like , which boasts broader support and faster feature updates, though Rocky's focused enterprise model continues to drive targeted growth.

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