Rocky Linux
rockylinux.org
What it is
Rocky Linux is a free, open-source enterprise operating system designed for bug-for-bug compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It rebuilds sources directly from Red Hat Enterprise Linux and supports migration from other Enterprise Linux distributions. The project describes it as production ready and gives major releases a 10-year support lifecycle: five years of active support followed by five years of security support. Only the latest minor release is supported. Images are available for physical installation, cloud platforms, containers, and Windows Subsystem for Linux, among other formats. Rocky Linux 10 supports x86-64-v3, riscv64, aarch64, ppc64le, and s390x, though architecture support varies by release. It uses DNF for package management and upgrade commands, with RPM packages in a RHEL-compatible software environment. Rocky Linux 10 requires x86-64-v3 on x86_64 and omits 32-bit compatibility packages. Major-version upgrades are not supported, so moving to Rocky Linux 10 requires a fresh installation. Community and commercial support options are listed.
Spec sheet
- Purpose
- Rocky Linux is an open-source enterprise operating system designed to be 100% bug-for-bug compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.Read 1 Oct 2026 · rockylinux.org
- Cloud availability
- Official cloud images include Generic Cloud and EC2 images, and the download page lists AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure offerings.Read 1 Oct 2026 · rockylinux.org
- Commercial support
- Commercial support providers listed by Rocky Linux include CIQ, MontaVista, and OpenLogic by Perforce.Read 1 Oct 2026 · rockylinux.org
- Community support
- Community support is available through Mattermost, IRC, forums, Reddit, and mailing lists.Read 1 Oct 2026 · docs.rockylinux.org
- Distribution formats
- Rocky releases provide boot, minimal, DVD, live desktop, cloud, container, and Windows Subsystem for Linux images.Read 1 Oct 2026 · docs.rockylinux.org
- Governance
- The Rocky Linux project is hosted by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation.Read 1 Oct 2026 · rockylinux.org
- Hardware limitation
- Rocky Linux 10 requires x86-64-v3 on x86_64 and no longer includes 32-bit compatibility packages.Read 1 Oct 2026 · docs.rockylinux.org
- Migration
- Rocky Linux supports migration from other Enterprise Linux distributions.Read 1 Oct 2026 · rockylinux.org
- Origin
- Gregory Kurtzer announced Rocky Linux in December 2020 after Red Hat announced the end of CentOS development.Read 1 Oct 2026 · rockylinux.org
- Production readiness
- The project describes Rocky Linux as production ready with regular updates and a 10-year support lifecycle.Read 1 Oct 2026 · rockylinux.org
- Release lifecycle
- Rocky Linux 10 has general support through May 31, 2030 and security support through May 31, 2035.Read 1 Oct 2026 · docs.rockylinux.org
- Security features
- Rocky Linux 10.1 enables post-quantum cryptography algorithms by default in system-wide cryptographic policies and supports ML-KEM hybrid key exchange in FIPS mode.Read 1 Oct 2026 · docs.rockylinux.org
- Security repository
- Rocky Linux provides an optional opt-in security repository for urgent fixes ahead of upstream, without support guarantees for that development repository.Read 1 Oct 2026 · rockylinux.org
- Source base
- Rocky Linux rebuilds sources directly from Red Hat Enterprise Linux.Read 1 Oct 2026 · rockylinux.org
- Supported architectures
- Rocky Linux 10 supports x86-64-v3, riscv64, aarch64, ppc64le, and s390x.Read 1 Oct 2026 · docs.rockylinux.org
- Upgrade limitation
- Rocky Linux does not support upgrades between major releases; moving to Rocky Linux 10 requires a fresh installation.Read 1 Oct 2026 · docs.rockylinux.org
Plans and prices
Rocky Linux Free at no cost · 10-year support lifecycle · community supported Read 1 Oct 2026 · rockylinux.org
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Free, open-source operating system
- 10-year support lifecycle for major releases
- Supports migration from other Enterprise Linux distributions
- Images cover cloud, containers, and WSL
- DNF package management and RPM packages
Limits
- Only the latest minor release is supported
- Major-version upgrades require a fresh installation
- Rocky Linux 10 requires x86-64-v3 on x86_64
- No 32-bit compatibility packages in Rocky Linux 10
Who it suits
Rocky Linux suits organizations and administrators seeking a free enterprise operating system compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Its deployment formats include physical systems, cloud instances, containers, and Windows Subsystem for Linux.
Verdict
Rocky Linux offers a free RHEL-compatible environment across several deployment formats and a 10-year major-release lifecycle. Check architecture requirements and plan a fresh installation when moving between major releases.
Where Specifiction places it
- Server Operating System#13 of 297.5
- Linux Distributions#12 of 207.6
- Operating Systems#30 of 427.6
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