Rocky Linux 8.8 Available Now
rockylinux.org
Rocky Linux 8.8 Available Now
1–10 of 41 posts
Re: Rocky Linux 8.8 Available Now
#2This is interesting.
I use archlinux as my daily linux driver, but for server it is not ideal as it is a bit fragile to upgrade (for example, if you have postgresql installed, an update can put a new version and you have to migrate your db and if you keep the old version, some .so might get updated and it won't start).
This could be a solution for servers. I used to use FreeBSD for servers instead of linux, but some softwares I have to deploy are not compatible with BSD which saddens me.
Re: Rocky Linux 8.8 Available Now
#3Not being familiar with CentOS or "Enterprise Linux", I wish their website explained a bit more about what Rocky Linux is in terms of features or functionality. The about page mainly just talks about the legacy of the name. The FAQ's first question isn't, "What is Rocky Linux", or "Who is Rocky Linux for?"
Piecing it together based on a single sentence I stumbled on then did some Google searching, it sounds like Rocky Linux is a non-commercial drop-in replacement for Red Hat. So I guess it's for folk that want to migrate from Red Hat, or duplicate its functionality, but don't want or need paid support?
Re: Rocky Linux 8.8 Available Now
#4This is interesting. I use archlinux as my daily linux driver, but for server it is not ideal as it is a bit fragile to upgrade (for example, if you have postgresql installed, an update can put a new version and you have to migrate your db and if you keep the old version, some .so might get updated and it won't start). This could be a solution for servers. I used to use FreeBSD for servers instead of linux, but some…
Run postgres in a container with the proper tag and you'll be fine. I run my homelab on OpenSuse MicroOS which is a rolling release with immutable filesystem and that's what I do for software I need to stay at specific versions.
Re: Rocky Linux 8.8 Available Now
#5Not being familiar with CentOS or "Enterprise Linux", I wish their website explained a bit more about what Rocky Linux is in terms of features or functionality. The about page mainly just talks about the legacy of the name. The FAQ's first question isn't, "What is Rocky Linux", or "Who is Rocky Linux for?" Piecing it together based on a single sentence I stumbled on then did some Google searching, it sounds like Rock…
While that's super valid, they are catering to existing CentOS users who are being forced to find an alternative since CentOS was discontinued. I'm not surprised that they aren't focused on trying to bring in new users, they've got a lot of work to do and the userbase already exists.
Re: Rocky Linux 8.8 Available Now
#6Not being familiar with CentOS or "Enterprise Linux", I wish their website explained a bit more about what Rocky Linux is in terms of features or functionality. The about page mainly just talks about the legacy of the name. The FAQ's first question isn't, "What is Rocky Linux", or "Who is Rocky Linux for?" Piecing it together based on a single sentence I stumbled on then did some Google searching, it sounds like Rock…
Well you could argue the name needs some explanation. The first time I heard it my mind immediately jumped to the dictionary definition of the word rocky - "difficult and full of obstacles or problems."
Re: Rocky Linux 8.8 Available Now
#7Not being familiar with CentOS or "Enterprise Linux", I wish their website explained a bit more about what Rocky Linux is in terms of features or functionality. The about page mainly just talks about the legacy of the name. The FAQ's first question isn't, "What is Rocky Linux", or "Who is Rocky Linux for?" Piecing it together based on a single sentence I stumbled on then did some Google searching, it sounds like Rock…
There is a bit of history behind it and other Red Hat Enterprise Linux clones. Originaly there was CentOS which was the "open source" / free version of RHEL. It was known for stability and reliability as a Linux distro for enterprise applications. CentOS was also 1-1, bug-for-bug replacement for RHEL.
This was good for a long time, but Red Hat dropped support for CentOS a few years back and stopped updating it. So Rocky Linux, Alma Linux, and others popped up to replace CentOS.
Re: Rocky Linux 8.8 Available Now
#8This is interesting. I use archlinux as my daily linux driver, but for server it is not ideal as it is a bit fragile to upgrade (for example, if you have postgresql installed, an update can put a new version and you have to migrate your db and if you keep the old version, some .so might get updated and it won't start). This could be a solution for servers. I used to use FreeBSD for servers instead of linux, but some…
I've been running Arch on all my personal computers for about 8 years now, including a low power server in my garage. It's true that there's the occasional issue to work out after updating, but overall I'd say I've come out ahead simply from never having the need or urge to wipe my filesystem and start fresh. I currently have upgrade anxiety about my work laptop that's still running Ubuntu 20.04.
My most personally nefarious Arch update glitch happened recently. Flatpak support quietly pulled in pipewire, but I already had pulseaudio installed. Apparently they're not mutually exclusive even though they're redundant and incompatible unless you explicitly configure them properly. So, I had a month or two where my audio "worked" but dynamic sink switching was really unreliable. Once I figured it out, I just uninstalled pulseaudio and configured pipewire properly in its place.
The only other one I can remember, in the past 8 years, was a new major PHP version breaking my web page's CMS. That was mostly my CMS's fault for being both obscure and horribly out of date.
Re: Rocky Linux 8.8 Available Now
#9Not being familiar with CentOS or "Enterprise Linux", I wish their website explained a bit more about what Rocky Linux is in terms of features or functionality. The about page mainly just talks about the legacy of the name. The FAQ's first question isn't, "What is Rocky Linux", or "Who is Rocky Linux for?" Piecing it together based on a single sentence I stumbled on then did some Google searching, it sounds like Rock…
CentOS was nice for two reasons:
1. Big "enterprise" software would run on it because it was basically RedHat.
2. It had an exceptionally long support cycle, so you could setup a machine and ignore it for ten years.
Re: Rocky Linux 8.8 Available Now
#10Not being familiar with CentOS or "Enterprise Linux", I wish their website explained a bit more about what Rocky Linux is in terms of features or functionality. The about page mainly just talks about the legacy of the name. The FAQ's first question isn't, "What is Rocky Linux", or "Who is Rocky Linux for?" Piecing it together based on a single sentence I stumbled on then did some Google searching, it sounds like Rock…
Rocky and CentOS are both based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
CentOS used to be a free and open source downstream version of RHEL. Keeping the history short: Red Hat effectively acquired CentOS and discontinued it as a downstream version of RHEL. They turned it into 'CentOS Stream', which is, more or less, a continuously delivered upstream version of RHEL. This isn't acceptable for a large number of the CentOS user base.
One of the original founders of CentOS, Gregory Kurtzer, started Rocky as an alternative. It's basically what CentOS used to be: a free and open source downstream version of RHEL.