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On 21 November 2023, the AlmaLinux OS Foundation announced the long-awaited release of AlmaLinux OS 8.9, codenamed ‘Midnight Oncilla’. Version 8.9 uses the 4.18.0-513.5.1.el8 kernel and, following version 9.3, has also been developed in line with Red Hat’s source code access changes, as an ABI-compatible release with RHEL.
The installation ISOs are now available for all four architectures on the mirror servers:
A torrent has been created for each architecture (for example, the x86_64 torrent), and you can find the other mirror servers at mirrors.almalinux.org.
Release notes and further information
AlmaLinux 8.9 continues to offer enhanced security, improved performance and better management capabilities. This release also introduces updates to container management and automation processes, as well as enhancements to the web console, which simplify management tasks. Furthermore, users can now configure health check operations, enabling better system monitoring and maintenance.
Software versions in AlmaLinux 8.9
| Area | Versions |
|---|---|
| New stream module | Node.js 20 |
| Version control | Git 2.39.1, Git LFS 3.2.0 |
| Compilers and toolkits | GCC Toolset 13, LLVM Toolset 16.0.6, Rust Toolset 1.71.1, Go Toolset 1.20.10 |
| Debugging | Valgrind 3.21, SystemTap 4.9, elfutils 0.189 |
| Performance monitoring | Grafana 9.2.10, grafana-pcp 5.1.1 |
Node.js 20 can be installed via the module system, meaning that the latest JavaScript applications can also be run on an AlmaLinux 8 server:
dnf module reset nodejs
dnf module install nodejs:20
Security updates
- OpenSCAP 1.3.8: the security compliance checking tool has been updated
- ANSSI-BP-028: SCAP profiles based on the recommendations of the French cybersecurity agency have been updated to version 2.0
- SCAP Security Guide: more precise rules for interactive user settings, whilst the DISA STIG profile supports the
audit_rules_login_events_faillockrule
ISO verification and updating
For the x86_64 architecture, boot, minimal and full (dvd) ISO images have been created. You can verify the downloaded image file as follows:
wget https://repo.almalinux.org/almalinux/RPM-GPG-KEY-AlmaLinux
gpg --import RPM-GPG-KEY-AlmaLinux
wget https://vault.almalinux.org/8.9/isos/x86_64/CHECKSUM
gpg --verify CHECKSUM
sha256sum AlmaLinux-8.9-x86_64-boot.iso
The line ‘Good signature’ should appear, and the ISO’s SHA256 value should match that in the CHECKSUM file. An important change is that AlmaLinux 8 packages will be signed with a new GPG key from 12 January 2024, as the old key would have expired. No action is required on machines that are regularly updated; however, on servers that have not been updated for a long time (running an almalinux-release package older than 8.8-3.el8), the new key must be imported before installing packages:
rpm -q gpg-pubkey-ced7258b-6525146f
rpm --import https://repo.almalinux.org/almalinux/RPM-GPG-KEY-AlmaLinux
The first command shows whether the new key is already trusted; if you get the response ‘is not installed’, run the second one. The 8.10 ISO has also been signed with the new key.
Existing AlmaLinux 8.x systems can be updated using the dnf upgrade -y command or via the graphical desktop tools. ELevate helps with the migration from CentOS 7, whilst almalinux-deploy assists with the migration from other RHEL-based 8.x systems; for upgrading from AlmaLinux 8 to 9, our ELevate guide explains how to perform an in-place upgrade.
For Docker users
The ‘latest’ and minimal tags for the official Docker image point to the latest version of AlmaLinux 9, so for AlmaLinux 8-based containers, be sure to specify the 8 tag.
You can read more about this release in the release notes; the full list of changes can be found in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.9 release notes.
How long will AlmaLinux 8 be supported?
Active support for AlmaLinux 8 lasted until 31 May 2024; security updates will be provided until 31 May 2029. Version 8.9 reached the end of its lifecycle with the release of 8.10. Releases in the 8 series:
- AlmaLinux 8.6 (May 2022)
- AlmaLinux 8.7 (November 2022)
- AlmaLinux 8.8 (May 2023)
- AlmaLinux 8.10 (May 2024, the final point release in the series)
You can run your own AlmaLinux server with us, either as a KVM VPS or a dedicated server.