Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 is Here: A Look at the New Release and Its Impact on Clones

Good morning everyone, I’m Dimitri Bellini, and welcome back to Quadrata, my channel dedicated to the world of open source and IT. This week, we’re shifting focus from our usual Zabbix discussions to something that’s recently made waves in the Linux world: the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (RHEL 10)!

The arrival of a new RHEL version is always significant, especially for the enterprise sector. So, let’s dive into what RHEL 10 brings to the table and, crucially, how its popular clones – AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, and Oracle Linux – are adapting to this new landscape. If you find this content useful, don’t forget to put a like and subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already!

What’s New in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10?

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is renowned as the most important distribution in the enterprise world, where companies pay for official support and long-term stability. RHEL versions are designed to be stable over time, offer excellent hardware and software support, and typically come with at least 10 years of support. This makes it ideal for server and enterprise environments, rather than your everyday desktop.

With RHEL 10, Red Hat continues to build on this foundation while embracing new IT trends. Here are some of the key highlights:

Key Highlights of RHEL 10:

• Kernel 6.12 (as mentioned): While the video mentions kernel 6.12, Red Hat typically focuses on stability for its enterprise releases. This means they select a mature kernel and then backport necessary bug fixes and feature advancements from newer kernels to their chosen stable version.
• Image Mode with BootC: This is an interesting development that transforms the standard operating system concept towards an immutable distro model. Instead of traditional package management like RPM for updates, you create an OS image with everything needed. Updates involve deploying a new image, allowing for easy rollback to a previous version upon reboot. This simplifies OS updates significantly in certain contexts.
• Wayland by Default: RHEL 10 moves decisively towards Wayland, with support for Xorg being removed, at least as the main desktop environment.
• RDP for Remote Access: For remote access to RHEL 10 workstations, the system has transitioned from VNC to RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), the well-known protocol from the Windows world, aiming for a more standard and efficient solution.
• Architecture Upgrade to x86-64-v3: RHEL 10 has moved its baseline architecture level from x86-64-v2 to v3 during compilation. This means it embraces newer instruction sets in modern AMD and Intel processors but, importantly, drops support for older CPUs that don’t meet the v3 specification. If you’re running older hardware, this is a critical change.

The RHEL Clones: Navigating the Landscape After CentOS

As many of you know, Red Hat’s decision to shift CentOS from a direct RHEL rebuild to CentOS Stream (a rolling-release version that’s upstream of RHEL) led to the rise of several community-driven distributions aiming to fill the gap. The most prominent among these are AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, and Oracle Linux, each striving to provide an enterprise-grade, RHEL-compatible experience.

With RHEL 10 out, these clones are now releasing their own version 10s. Let’s see how they’re approaching it.

AlmaLinux 10 “PurpleLion” – The Swift Innovator

AlmaLinux was quick to respond, releasing its version 10 (codename PurpleLion) just about a week after RHEL 10’s announcement. AlmaLinux is community-driven and has made some distinct choices:

• Shift in Philosophy: While previously focused on “bug-for-bug” compatibility, AlmaLinux 10 aims for “Application Binary Interface (ABI)” compatibility with RHEL. This means it ensures applications compiled for RHEL will run on AlmaLinux, but it allows AlmaLinux to introduce its own improvements and not be 100% identical to RHEL.
• Key Differentiators:

  • Kernel with Frame Pointers: AlmaLinux 10 tunes its kernel by enabling Frame Pointers. This can simplify debugging and profiling of the OS and applications, though it might introduce a slight performance overhead (around 1-2%).
  • Broader Hardware Support (x86-64-v2 and v3): Unlike RHEL 10’s default, AlmaLinux 10 provides options for both x86-64-v2 and x86-64-v3 architectures, offering kernels for older CPUs.
  • Continued SPICE Support: They continue to support the SPICE protocol for remote access to virtual machines, which was dropped in RHEL 9 and 10.
  • Additional Device Drivers: AlmaLinux 10 includes over 150 device drivers that Red Hat has dropped in its current version.
  • EPEL for v2: AlmaLinux is taking on the task of compiling EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux) packages for the x86-64-v2 architecture, given their continued support for it.

• Release Strategy: Aims to release major and minor versions as quickly as possible, gathering sources from various places.

Rocky Linux 10 – The Staunch Loyalist

Rocky Linux is known for its purist approach, aiming for 100% bug-for-bug compatibility with RHEL.

• The Purist’s Choice: If you want a distribution that is as close to RHEL as possible, Rocky Linux is your go-to. The packages are intended to be bit-for-bit identical.
• Release Strategy: More conservative. Rocky Linux typically waits for the general availability (GA) of the RHEL version before releasing its corresponding version to ensure full compatibility. As of this writing, Rocky Linux 10 has nightly builds available but is not yet officially released.
• Kernel: The kernel is not altered and remains the same as in RHEL 10.
• Architecture Support: Following RHEL’s lead, Rocky Linux 10 will focus on the x86-64-v3 architecture, meaning no default support for older v2 CPUs unless they decide to provide an alternative kernel.

Oracle Linux 10 – The Enterprise Powerhouse

Oracle Linux also maintains bug-for-bug compatibility with RHEL and is a strong contender, especially in enterprise environments.

• Enterprise Focus: Offers 100% RHEL compatibility and the backing of a major vendor, Oracle, which also provides official support options.
• Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK): A key differentiator is the option to use Oracle’s UEK. This is an Oracle-tuned kernel designed for better performance and efficiency, particularly for enterprise workloads and, naturally, Oracle’s own database products. Users can choose between the RHEL-compatible kernel or the UEK.
• Release Timing: Oracle Linux releases typically follow RHEL’s official upstream release, as they need the sources to compile and verify. Version 10 is not yet available.

OpenELA: A Collaborative Effort for Enterprise Linux

After Red Hat changed how it provided sources, a new initiative called OpenELA (Open Enterprise Linux Association) was formed. This non-profit collaboration involves CIQ (the company behind Rocky Linux), Oracle, and SUSE. Their primary goal is to work together to obtain RHEL sources and continue to provide free and open enterprise Linux versions based on RHEL. Notably, AlmaLinux has chosen its own path and is not part of OpenELA.

Choosing Your Champion: AlmaLinux vs. Rocky Linux vs. Oracle Linux

So, with these options, which one should you choose?

• AlmaLinux 10: Might be your pick if you appreciate faster release cycles, need support for older hardware (x86-64-v2), value features like enabled Frame Pointers, or require specific drivers/software (like SPICE) that RHEL has dropped. You’re okay with a distribution that’s binary compatible but not strictly bug-for-bug identical to RHEL.
• Rocky Linux 10: If your priority is unwavering stability and 100% bug-for-bug compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and you prefer a purely community-driven approach, Rocky Linux is likely the best fit.
• Oracle Linux 10: If you’re operating in a large enterprise, might need commercial support, or could benefit from the potentially optimized performance of the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK) for specific workloads, Oracle Linux is a strong contender.

The speed of release is also a factor for some. AlmaLinux tends to be the fastest, while Rocky Linux and Oracle Linux are a bit more measured. However, whether a release comes out a few weeks sooner or later might not be critical for many, as long as it’s timely.

My Perspective: Why Standardization Matters in the Enterprise

Personally, I’ve decided to stabilize on Red Hat and its derivatives for enterprise environments because standardization is fundamental. When you’re working in complex systems, introducing too many variables can lead to unpredictable problems.

I encountered a situation a while ago that illustrates this. We were setting up synthetic monitoring using a Selenium Docker container. It worked perfectly in our environment. However, for our client, who was using Podman (common in RHEL environments) instead of Docker as the container engine, the same setup was incredibly slow after just a few concurrent connections – the CPU would max out, and it was a complete mess. Understanding that subtle difference was key to resolving the issue.

This is why, for certain enterprise scenarios, I lean towards RHEL-based systems. They are often more rigorously tested and standardized for such environments, which can save a lot of headaches down the line.

Conclusion

The Linux distribution landscape is ever-evolving, and the release of RHEL 10 alongside new versions from its clones is a testament to this dynamism. Each distribution we’ve discussed offers a solid RHEL-compatible experience but caters to slightly different needs and philosophies.

I hope this overview has been interesting and helps you understand the current state of play. The choice ultimately depends on your specific requirements, whether it’s cutting-edge innovation, purist compatibility, or enterprise-grade support.

What are your thoughts on RHEL 10 and its clones? Which distribution are you leaning towards, or currently using, and why? Let me know in the comments below! The battle of distributions is always a hot topic!

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A big greeting from me, Dimitri Bellini. Bye everyone, and I’ll see you next week!

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