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AlmaLinux OS
LinkedIn lists headquarters in Fort Myers, Florida.
What it is
AlmaLinux OS is a free, open-source, community-owned enterprise Linux distribution that is binary compatible with RHEL. The project presents it as an option for people who need an enterprise-grade Linux system without a commercial license agreement, including users seeking a CentOS Linux replacement. It supports servers, workstations, virtual machines, cloud instances, containers, Raspberry Pi devices and Windows Subsystem for Linux environments. ISO downloads are available for x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le and s390x architectures, alongside cloud images for providers including AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. The project also offers container and Vagrant images, plus live media with GNOME, KDE, XFCE, MATE and other desktop choices. Security and bug-fix errata are published by the Foundation, and packages are GPG-signed and verified by default. OpenSCAP, SCAP Workbench, OVAL streams and CIS tooling are available for auditing or hardening systems. Community support is available through forums, chat and Reddit; commercial support is offered separately. Updates are planned for 8.x until 2029 and 9.x until 2032.
For and against
For
- Free, open-source and community-owned.
- Binary compatible with RHEL.
- Images cover several cloud and container environments.
- Packages are GPG-signed and verified by default.
- Community support is available through forums and chat.
Against
- Commercial support is offered separately.
- Minor versions reach end of life when the next minor version releases.
- Updates for 8.x are planned only until 2029.
The verdict
AlmaLinux OS offers an enterprise Linux distribution with broad deployment options, security tooling and community support. Its planned update timelines differ by major version, and commercial support is separate.
Who it suits
AlmaLinux OS suits users seeking a free enterprise Linux distribution without a commercial license agreement, including those looking for a CentOS Linux replacement. It supports a range of server, desktop, cloud and container environments.
Plans and prices
AlmaLinux OS
enterprise Linux distribution · RHEL binary compatibility · no license fees or usage charges
Read 15 Oct 2026 · almalinux.org
On the record
- Architectures
- Supported primary architectures are x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le and s390x.wiki.almalinux.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Certifications
- The project states that AlmaLinux OS 9.2 is FIPS 140-3 validated and Common Criteria certified.almalinux.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Cloud images
- Official cloud images are provided for Amazon AWS, Generic Cloud, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, OpenNebula, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.almalinux.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Cloud integrations
- Official images are provided for AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, OpenNebula and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.almalinux.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company size
- LinkedIn lists AlmaLinux as a nonprofit software-development organization with 2–10 employees.linkedin.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- AlmaLinux OS 9.2 is stated to have FIPS 140-3 validation and to appear on the NIST active list.almalinux.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Compliance tools
- AlmaLinux provides OpenSCAP, SCAP Workbench, OVAL streams, and CIS tooling to audit or harden systems.almalinux.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Container integrations
- The project publishes OCI, Docker and UBI-compatible container images through Docker Hub, Quay.io and GitHub.almalinux.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Containers and virtual machines
- The project provides OCI, Docker, and UBI-compatible container images, plus Vagrant images for Libvirt, VirtualBox, Hyper-V, VMware, and Parallels.almalinux.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Desktop media
- Live images are offered with GNOME, GNOME Mini, KDE, XFCE and MATE.almalinux.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Desktop options
- Live Media images are offered with GNOME, GNOME Mini, KDE, XFCE, and MATE desktop options.almalinux.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Documentation and support
- Documentation covers installation, migration, security, cloud images, containers, WSL, repositories and troubleshooting, with forums, chat and mailing lists for community support.wiki.almalinux.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Governance
- The AlmaLinux OS Foundation is a US 501(c)(6) nonprofit that owns and manages the project.almalinux.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Installation formats
- Boot, minimal and DVD ISO images are available for each supported architecture, with checksum and signature verification instructions.wiki.almalinux.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- License
- The distribution compilation is licensed under GPLv2, while included packages retain their individual upstream licenses; unique non-OS software may use GPLv3 and libraries may use MIT.almalinux.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: beginner usability
- G2 reviewers report that installation and configuration can be CLI-focused and require prior Linux knowledge.g2.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: ecosystem size
- PhoenixNAP’s comparison says AlmaLinux has slower access to new software, fewer AlmaLinux-specific packages and less cloud-tooling dominance than Ubuntu.phoenixnap.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: software freshness
- G2 reviewers say the stability-first approach can delay newer packages and require manual hardware or configuration work.g2.com · read 15 Oct 2026
