AlmaLinux FAQ

This page collects frequently asked questions about AlmaLinux, covering the project's positioning, version selection, lifecycle, migration, and everyday use. For the full release history, see Release History; for a quick lifecycle reference, see Version Timeline and Lifecycle.

What is AlmaLinux? How is it related to RHEL?

AlmaLinux OS is a free, open-source, community-driven enterprise Linux distribution, operated by the non-profit AlmaLinux OS Foundation. It originally emerged as a successor to CentOS Linux, aiming to provide a stable system compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

• In the RHEL 8 / 9 era, AlmaLinux maintained 1:1 binary compatibility with the corresponding RHEL versions.
• Starting with RHEL 10, AlmaLinux shifted to an ABI-compatible (Application Binary Interface compatible) approach — guaranteeing compatibility at the application binary interface level so that software built for RHEL runs correctly on AlmaLinux, while giving the project more flexibility (for example, to fix security issues or add hardware support).

How do I choose between AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux?

Both are RHEL-compatible, permanently free enterprise distributions and the mainstream replacements after CentOS Linux stopped updating. The technical differences are minimal; the main difference lies in governance and organizational structure:

• AlmaLinux is governed by the AlmaLinux OS Foundation (a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization), where members can participate in board elections.
• Rocky Linux is backed by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF), which is closely tied to the company CIQ.

When choosing, consider the community atmosphere, governance model, and the support situation of the software/hardware vendors you use, rather than performance differences alone.

Tip

If you are already using one of them and it works well, there is usually no need to switch. Both will receive long-term, stable security updates.

What is the difference between AlmaLinux and CentOS Stream?

• CentOS Stream is the upstream (rolling) distribution for RHEL, positioned between Fedora and RHEL; updates land in Stream first and then in stable RHEL. It leans toward a "one step ahead" development branch.
• AlmaLinux follows stable RHEL, positioned as a downstream, production-ready stable system.

In short: CentOS Stream comes before RHEL, AlmaLinux comes after RHEL. For a stable production environment, AlmaLinux is usually the choice.

Is AlmaLinux free? Does it require a subscription?

Completely free. AlmaLinux can be freely downloaded, installed, used, and redistributed without any subscription or registration, and there is no limit on the number of nodes. This differs from RHEL, which requires a subscription.

How long is the AlmaLinux lifecycle?

Each major version provides about 10 years of support. The approximate end dates for security maintenance support are:

• AlmaLinux 10: security support until May 2035
• AlmaLinux 9: security support until May 2032
• AlmaLinux 8: security support until May 2029

For the detailed split between active support and security support, see Version Timeline and Lifecycle.

Should I install AlmaLinux 9 or 10?

• New deployments: AlmaLinux 10 is generally recommended, offering a newer kernel and toolchain and a longer support period.
• Need a more mature ecosystem / third-party software compatibility: if the commercial software, drivers, or images you depend on are not yet fully adapted to EL10, you can choose AlmaLinux 9, which is also under active support.

For more detailed recommendations, see Version Timeline.

How do I migrate from CentOS 7 / 8 to AlmaLinux?

CentOS Linux 7 and CentOS Linux 8 are both EOL (no longer maintained) and should be migrated as soon as possible.

• CentOS 7: there is a large gap from EL9/EL10, so a fresh installation followed by data and configuration migration is recommended.
• EL8 / EL9 systems: you can use the ELevate tool for an in-place migration.

For complete migration guides, see Migration Hub.

Can AlmaLinux 9 be upgraded in place to 10?

Yes. AlmaLinux provides an in-place upgrade solution based on ELevate (which uses Red Hat's leapp framework underneath) for cross-major-version upgrades. Before upgrading, be sure to make a complete backup and validate critical applications in a test environment.

Note

Cross-major-version in-place upgrades carry risk. For production environments, rehearse on a test machine first and confirm that all third-party repositories and software support the target version.

Which CPU architectures does AlmaLinux support?

AlmaLinux supports the following architectures:

• x86_64 (64-bit Intel/AMD)
• aarch64 (64-bit ARM)
• ppc64le (IBM Power)
• s390x (IBM Z)

In addition, AlmaLinux 10 provides an extra x86-64-v2 build to remain compatible with older CPUs (RHEL 10 officially requires x86-64-v3).

How can users in China speed up downloads or switch software mirrors?

Users in China can use mirror sites to speed up downloads and updates. Common ones include the Alibaba Cloud mirror, Tsinghua University TUNA mirror, and University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) mirror. For specific download addresses and how to switch mirrors, see Download and Install.

How do I check the current system version?

The most direct way:

cat /etc/almalinux-release
# e.g.: AlmaLinux release 10.2 (Lavender Lion)

Other common commands:

cat /etc/os-release      # generic distribution info
uname -r                 # view the kernel version
hostnamectl              # system and kernel overview

Is AlmaLinux suitable for production environments?

Yes. AlmaLinux is positioned as an enterprise-grade, production-ready distribution providing long-term security updates. It is widely used for servers, virtualization, and enterprise applications, and is a common production replacement after CentOS Linux stopped updating.

How well do containers and cloud platforms support AlmaLinux?

Support is good:

• Official container images are published on registries such as Docker Hub and Quay.io, providing standard and minimal images.
• Cloud platforms: official images are available in the marketplaces of major public clouds (such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), and AlmaLinux can also be deployed as a virtual machine template.

For container and cloud-native usage, see the Cloud Native Hub.

Does AlmaLinux offer commercial support?

The AlmaLinux project itself is community-driven and does not directly sell subscriptions. If you need commercial support with an SLA, you can obtain it through third-party vendors, for example CloudLinux and TuxCare (which offer extended support, kernel live patching, and similar services).

What does the name AlmaLinux mean?

"Alma" in Latin means "soul, nourishing" (as in alma mater). The project uses the name to honor and carry on the widely embraced spirit of the open-source community.

Do I need to pay or register each server?

No. AlmaLinux does not charge per node and does not require registering installations with the project. You can freely deploy it on any number of physical machines, virtual machines, or containers.

Where can I get help and community support?

You can get help through the official AlmaLinux forums, community chat channels, mailing lists, and this Chinese documentation site. When you run into a specific problem, checking this FAQ, the Migration Hub, and the Version Timeline often locates the answer quickly.

When you need more systematic enterprise Linux operations tutorials (systemd, networking, storage, troubleshooting, and more, covering the entire EL family), see the sister site RunEntLinux.