AlmaLinux
almalinux.org
AlmaLinux is a Linux distribution that, like Rocky Linux, was created to fill the void left by CentOS. It was announced in December 2020 by CloudLinux, a company that had been building its own commercial Linux product for years, and it's named after the Alma River in Ukraine.
The idea is the same as Rocky: take the source code from Red Hat Enterprise Linux, rebuild it, and give it away for free. You get the same stability, security updates, and long-term support that RHEL users get, but without the subscription cost. It's a straight-up replacement for the old CentOS.
AlmaLinux is backed by the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, which is a non-profit, and it's governed by a board that includes people from the community and from CloudLinux. It's also got a pretty impressive list of sponsors and partners, including some big names in the hosting and cloud world.
The main difference between Alma and Rocky is mostly philosophical and organizational. Both are RHEL clones, both are free, and both are committed to staying that way. Alma has a bit more corporate backing from CloudLinux, while Rocky has the name recognition of Gregory Kurtzer, the original CentOS founder. In practice, they're very similar, and choosing between them often comes down to personal preference or which one your hosting provider supports.
One thing Alma does well is its community. They've got a friendly, active group of contributors, and they've made a point of being transparent about their governance. They also offer a free migration tool called Elevate, which makes it easy to move from CentOS to AlmaLinux.
The trade-off is the same as any RHEL clone: you're not getting the latest and greatest software. But if you want a solid, dependable server OS that's free and community-driven, AlmaLinux is a great choice.
The idea is the same as Rocky: take the source code from Red Hat Enterprise Linux, rebuild it, and give it away for free. You get the same stability, security updates, and long-term support that RHEL users get, but without the subscription cost. It's a straight-up replacement for the old CentOS.
AlmaLinux is backed by the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, which is a non-profit, and it's governed by a board that includes people from the community and from CloudLinux. It's also got a pretty impressive list of sponsors and partners, including some big names in the hosting and cloud world.
The main difference between Alma and Rocky is mostly philosophical and organizational. Both are RHEL clones, both are free, and both are committed to staying that way. Alma has a bit more corporate backing from CloudLinux, while Rocky has the name recognition of Gregory Kurtzer, the original CentOS founder. In practice, they're very similar, and choosing between them often comes down to personal preference or which one your hosting provider supports.
One thing Alma does well is its community. They've got a friendly, active group of contributors, and they've made a point of being transparent about their governance. They also offer a free migration tool called Elevate, which makes it easy to move from CentOS to AlmaLinux.
The trade-off is the same as any RHEL clone: you're not getting the latest and greatest software. But if you want a solid, dependable server OS that's free and community-driven, AlmaLinux is a great choice.
