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On 18 May 2023, the AlmaLinux OS Foundation announced the general availability of AlmaLinux OS 8.8, codenamed “Sapphire Caracal”! Version 8.8 is based on the source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 and uses the 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 kernel.
🚀A new day and a new AlmaLinux release. AlmaLinux 8.8 is now available!https://t.co/pWmxKYNZgK
— AlmaLinux (@AlmaLinux) May 18, 2023
How many are still on 8.x and how many have moved to 9.x?#Linux #opensource #centos #community #software #distro pic.twitter.com/4nbO5sJPYk
As usual, the installer is now available for four different architectures, which can be downloaded via the links below:
Further mirror servers are available by clicking here, or you can download the x86_64 minimal installer directly from the AlmaLinux archive via the link below: vault.almalinux.org/8.8/isos/x86_64/AlmaLinux-8.8-x86_64-minimal.iso
Software versions in AlmaLinux 8.8
According to the release notes, these are the key updated components:
| Area | Versions |
|---|---|
| Updated module streams | Python 3.11, nginx 1.22, PostgreSQL 15 |
| Version control | Git 2.39.1, Git LFS 3.2.0 |
| Compilers and toolkits | GCC Toolset 12, LLVM Toolset 15.0.7, Rust Toolset 1.66, Go Toolset 1.19.4 |
| Troubleshooting and performance monitoring | Valgrind 3.19, SystemTap 4.8, elfutils 0.188, PCP 5.3.7, Grafana 7.5.15 |
Nginx 1.22 can be enabled via the module system as follows:
dnf module reset nginx
dnf module install nginx:1.22
Security updates
- FIPS 140-3: the kernel’s FIPS mode settings comply with the FIPS 140-3 standard
- Libreswan 4.9: the IPsec VPN implementation has been updated
- OpenSCAP 1.3.7: the latest version of the security compliance checker
- fapolicyd: the application authorisation framework can also filter based on the RPM database
- Rsyslog: TLS-encrypted logging supports multiple CA files
- SELinux:
systemd-socket-proxydruns in its own SELinux domain - AlmaLinux EV Code Sign Secure Boot certificate has been updated
Upgrading from another version of AlmaLinux 8.x or from CentOS 7
Users of earlier versions of AlmaLinux 8.x can upgrade to the latest version using the dnf upgrade -y (or dnf update) command, or via the GNOME and KDE graphical desktop environments. This will now take you to the final release in the 8 series, version 8.10.
Are you still using CentOS 7.x? Looking for a new home? Don’t wait – ELevate! AlmaLinux ELevate enables migration from CentOS 7.x to AlmaLinux 8.x or 9.x, or to another derivative. We’ve set out the steps for an in-place upgrade from 8 to 9 in our guide, ‘Upgrading AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux from 8 to 9 with ELevate’.
Are you running another RHEL-based 8.x system? You can switch to AlmaLinux using almalinux-deploy.
ISO verification
You can verify the integrity of the downloaded installer using the AlmaLinux 8 GPG key and the signed CHECKSUM file:
wget https://repo.almalinux.org/almalinux/RPM-GPG-KEY-AlmaLinux
gpg --import RPM-GPG-KEY-AlmaLinux
wget https://vault.almalinux.org/8.8/isos/x86_64/CHECKSUM
gpg --verify CHECKSUM
sha256sum AlmaLinux-8.8-x86_64-boot.iso
The line ‘Good signature’ should appear, and the ISO SHA256 value should match that in the CHECKSUM file. For the boot ISO, if the installer cannot find a mirror, you must specify the directory 8.8/BaseOS/x86_64/kickstart/ as the installation source.
For Docker users
Upon release, AlmaLinux announced that the ‘latest’ and minimal tags for the official Docker image now point to the latest version of AlmaLinux 9. If a container requires AlmaLinux 8, please specify the 8 tag explicitly.
Release notes and further information
AlmaLinux 8.8 introduces enhancements and features that provide a more stable and secure open hybrid cloud foundation, enabling workloads, applications and services to be delivered to multiple environments more quickly and with less effort. The Realmd system service, OpenSCAP and other security-related updates enable easy management of security and compliance. Developments relating to application streams include updates to compilers, runtime languages, databases and web servers. This release also further facilitates the automation and standardisation of systems through enhancements to the web console and new system roles. New container capabilities simplify the development and management of containerised deployments.
You can read more about this release in the release notes; the full list can be found in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 release notes.
How long will AlmaLinux 8 be supported?
Active support for AlmaLinux 8 ran until 31 May 2024; security updates will be provided until 31 May 2029. Releases in the 8 series:
- AlmaLinux 8.6 (May 2022)
- AlmaLinux 8.7 (November 2022)
- AlmaLinux 8.9 (November 2023)
- AlmaLinux 8.10 (May 2024, the final point release in the series)
You can also choose AlmaLinux as your operating system when ordering a KVM VPS or dedicated server; for new installations, we recommend version 9 or 10.