Rocky Linux 9.6: Stability Meets Innovation
Rocky Linux 9.6: Stability Meets Innovation
Rocky Linux vs Other RHEL Distros
Rocky Linux has rapidly become a cornerstone of the open‐source ecosystem for those seeking an enterprise‐grade operating system without proprietary licensing costs. The Rocky Linux community shows unwavering dedication to building a distribution that truly honours the legacy of CentOS while pushing forward with modern enhancements. In this article, I’ll delve into official release materials and insights into why Rocky Linux 9.6 stands out in today’s RHEL‐compatible landscape.
Early in 2020, when Red Hat declared that CentOS would shift from a downstream rebuild of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) to CentOS Stream, many sysadmins and organisations were left scrambling. CentOS’s battle‐tested reputation for stability and compatibility had earned it a devoted following. When Gregory Kurtzer—one of the original CentOS co‐founders—announced Rocky Linux as a community‐driven replacement, a few can remember thinking: “Here’s a project that truly understands what the community desires.” Within months, the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF) was formally established, with volunteers and donors rallying behind the vision of a fully open‐source, RHEL‐compatible distribution.
Rocky Linux’s first major milestone arrived on 1 May 2021 with the general availability of Rocky Linux 8.4 (“Green Obsidian”). From that point onward, every subsequent minor release demonstrated not only strict binary compatibility with upstream RHEL but also a determination to integrate community‐requested features, deliver timely security patches and maintain a comprehensive mirror infrastructure. When Rocky Linux 9 (“Blue Onyx”) debuted on 14 July 2022, it ushered in new architectures (s390x, ppc64le, aarch64) and longer‐term support until May 2027, reinforcing the distro’s enterprise credentials.
Unique features of Rocky Linux include its organisational structure—where decision‐making is entirely community‐based, supported by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation—and an extremely transparent build pipeline. Contributors worldwide can track builds, submit patches, report bugs and even propose changes via Git repositories. In addition, Rocky Linux maintains an extensive mirror network that spans six continents, ensuring that downloads and updates are swift, reliable and decentralised. For anyone who values community stewardship over corporate direction, Rocky Linux has carved a distinctive niche that marries the stability of RHEL with the principles of open collaboration.
What’s New In Rocky Linux 9.6
Version 9.6, released on 4 June 2025, builds on the robust foundation of the 9.x series with a host of enhancements to tooling, image workflows and software stacks. Below is a close examination of the key updates without drowning in minutiae:
1. Modernised Image Build Process with KIWI
One of the headline features is the integration of KIWI as the primary image‐building tool for most artefacts. KIWI, originally from the openSUSE ecosystem, offers a declarative, maintainable and reproducible approach to crafting OS images. By standardising on KIWI, the Rocky Linux Cloud Special Interest Group (SIG/Cloud) has streamlined the production of cloud images, container images and live ISOs. This modernisation ensures that images across platforms—whether AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or private OpenStack deployments—remain consistent, secure and extendable. In practice, adopters should notice quicker update cycles and reduced discrepancies between image types.
2. Introduction of a WSL‐Compatible Image for Windows Integration
Recognising the growing demand for running native Linux distributions on Windows, Rocky Linux 9.6 now offers a dedicated Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) container archive. This new image allows users on Windows 10 or Windows 11 to simply download a .wsl file and install Rocky Linux within WSL using the Windows command line. Upon first launch, WSL will request a username, granting an almost “out‐of‐the‐box” experience comparable to mainstream WSL distributions. For developers whose primary workstation is Windows, this addition removes friction: you can spin up a Rocky Linux shell, leverage DNF to pull packages, test scripts, run system services and access the same libraries you’d find on a native installation.
3. Updated Cloud Provider Utilities
Utilities specifically tailored to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) have been refreshed to their latest upstream versions, ensuring that when deploying on OCI, users benefit from improved storage drivers, instance configuration tools and networking modules. This shows Rocky Linux’s commitment to major cloud platforms beyond AWS and Azure.
4. Latest Module Streams for Web, Database and Languages
Rocky Linux 9.6 tracks the RHEL 9.6 module streams closely, bringing the most current versions of popular stacks:
PHP 8.3: Web developers gain features like JIT compilation refinements, improved type safety and enhanced performance for modern frameworks.
MySQL 8.4: Database administrators will appreciate the new JSON features, better replication performance and enhanced security defaults.
nginx 1.26: Site operators benefit from updated TLS libraries, improved HTTP/2 handling and more efficient resource usage.
These versions align Rocky Linux with upstream RHEL’s commitment to delivering cutting‐edge software while preserving enterprise‐grade stability.
5. Enhanced Compiler and Development Toolsets
Software engineers rejoice with updated compiler toolchains and performance instrumentation:
LLVM Toolset 19.17: Introduces support for the latest C standards, improved optimisations and expanded target support for architectures like aarch64.
Rust Toolset 1.84.1: Developers using Rust can leverage fresh language features, improved Cargo integrations and tightened security audit capabilities.
Go Toolset 1.23: Ecosystem maintainers get the newest Go runtime, offering faster builds, improved module handling and expanded standard library functions.
Under the hood, performance monitoring and debugging tools have also been revised:
Valgrind 3.24.0: Memory debugging aficionados will find updated instrumentation for newer kernels and glibc versions.
SystemTap 5.2: Probes for deeper kernel and userspace introspection, facilitating advanced troubleshooting.
elfutils 0.192 and libabigail 2.6: Essential components for binary compatibility checks and ABI analysis, ensuring that custom software remains compatible across minor releases.
Performance Co-pilot (PCP) 6.3.2: Upgraded to improve telemetry gathering, resource accounting and visualisation of system metrics.
By updating these core toolchains, Rocky Linux 9.6 empowers enterprises and developers to build, test and optimise applications with the latest upstream innovations.
6. Security Policy Enhancements
Security is always a focal point. Rocky Linux 9.6 includes new SELinux policy rules that extend confinement to components such as iio-sensor-proxy, power-profiles-daemon, switcheroo-control and samba-bgqd. This strengthens default security postures, particularly for workstation and server use‐cases where sensor daemons and background services can introduce unexpected attack surfaces.
7. Known Issues to Watch Out For
Despite rigorous testing, two notable issues remain in version 9.6:
ZFS Module Incompatibility: The current OpenZFS module does not load under Rocky Linux 9.6. Those with existing ZFS filesystems on v9.5 should hold off upgrading until a compatible ZFS module is released.
SELinux ‘passt’ Back-end Issue: On systems where the passt back end is installed (often seen with specific hardware wallet integrations), SELinux prevents the interface from starting. Users should disable SELinux or avoid using passt until a patch lands.
Rocky’s release notes and upstream tracking issues are clear that fixes are actively pursued, but savvy users ought to verify whether these blockers affect their workloads prior to upgrading.
Getting Rocky Linux 9.6
Having covered the headline features, let’s walk through how to obtain Rocky Linux 9.6, perform fresh installations, and upgrade existing 9.x deployments. I found the official documentation especially helpful in outlining each step—let me break it down in plain language.
Obtaining Installation Media
Head to the Rocky Linux Downloads webpage. You’ll find ISO images for multiple architectures (x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, s390x) and editions (DVD, Minimal, Live, Boot ISO). There are also separate sections for Cloud and Docker (OCI) images respectively.
Select the appropriate mirror nearest to your region. Rocky Linux’s mirror list is extensive; simply click the “Download” button and choose your preferred location. Mirrors typically synchronise rapidly, so you’re nearly always downloading the latest images.
Verifying Integrity
Checksum files (sha256sum.txt) are provided alongside ISOs. After downloading, run sha256sum Rocky-9.6-x86_64-dvd.iso (adjust filename accordingly) and compare the output against the official checksums. This step guards against corrupted downloads or tampered images.
Creating Bootable Media
For physical servers or workstations: use your favourite tool (e.g. Rufus on Windows, Etcher on macOS/Linux) to flash the ISO onto a USB drive. Ensure you choose “DD mode” if prompted, to preserve alignment.
For virtual machines: upload the ISO to your hypervisor (e.g. VMware ESXi, Proxmox, VirtualBox) and attach it to a new VM’s virtual CD/DVD drive.
Fresh Installation Process
Boot and Initialise
Insert your USB or attach the ISO. Boot the target system and select “Install Rocky Linux 9.6.”
The installer (Anaconda) will load, presenting you with language, keyboard and localisation options. Choose what’s appropriate for your locale.
Partitioning and Storage Configuration
Automatic (Recommended): Let Anaconda automatically partition using LVM. This creates logical volumes for root, swap and home, providing flexibility for future resizing.
Custom (Advanced): If you plan to use ZFS, you’ll note that 9.6 doesn’t support ZFS modules yet. In that case, select LVM or standard partitions. Custom partitioning also helps when deploying on btrfs or legacy ext4 layouts.
Network Configuration
Wired connections are discovered automatically, but if you’re using static IPs, click “Network & Host Name,” configure your IP address, gateway and DNS. Give your host a descriptive name (e.g. prod-db01).
If you require multiple network interfaces (e.g. for segregation of management and data traffic), configure each at this stage.
User Setup
Create a regular user account. By default in 9.6, any user added during install is granted administrative privileges (wheel group). If you prefer stricter security, uncheck the “Make this user administrator” option and configure sudoers manually post-installation.
Set a secure root password. Rocky Linux strongly recommends setting a strong passphrase—particularly if SSH root login will be permitted.
Software Selection
Choose a base environment: Server, Minimal Install, Workstation, Virtualisation Host, etc.
Add software “Add-ons” if needed—common ones include Server with GUI, Development Tools, Web Server, Database Server, among others. This is a convenience layer atop the default package groups; you can always install additional packages later via dnf groupinstall.
Installation and Post-Install
Confirm your settings and click “Begin Installation.” Anaconda provides a progress bar along with onscreen logs.
Once complete, click “Reboot.” Remove the installation media and let the system boot from the new Rocky Linux partitions.
On first boot, you’ll be greeted by the Initial Setup Agent, prompting you to accept license terms, configure online repositories, enable telemetry (if desired), and update your system.
Upgrading from Rocky Linux 9.x
Rocky Linux 9.x users enjoy a straightforward in-place upgrade to 9.6. From the command line:
This will synchronise all installed packages to the 9.6 versions as published in the Rocky repositories. You can also upgrade via GUI tools like GNOME Software or KDE Discover—just launch the update tool, review pending updates and let it handle the process automatically.
Third-Party Distribution Migrations
If you’re migrating from other Enterprise Linux 9 variants (AlmaLinux 9.x, Oracle Linux 9.x), the migrate2rocky script remains the recommended path. It replaces vendor‐specific packages, updates repository configurations to point at mirrors.rockylinux.org and ensures a clean transition. After running migrate2rocky, perform sudo dnf -y upgrade to align packages with Rocky Linux 9.6.Note on Rocky Linux 8 to 9
There is no supported direct upgrade path from Rocky Linux 8 to Rocky Linux 9. As per the official guidance, those on 8.x wishing to move to 9.6 should plan a fresh OS installation. Back up critical data, re‐create custom configurations or use automation tools (Ansible, Terraform) to provision new 9.6 hosts, then migrate workloads manually.
An aspect I find truly remarkable about Rocky Linux is the depth and accessibility of community support. When encountering any hiccup—say, the ZFS compatibility issue mentioned earlier—anyone can lean on several official channels to find guidance, report bugs and collaborate on fixes.
Rocky Linux Documentation Site
The project’s documentation (docs.rockylinux.org) hosts comprehensive user guides covering installation, migration, security hardening, containerisation, cloud deployment and more. Each page is methodically organised, updated for every minor release and translated into multiple languages. For 9.6, specific sections detail new features in package streams, the upgraded compiler toolsets and known issues to help users anticipate potential snags.Mattermost Community Chat
Rocky Linux’s official Mattermost server provides several channels, including #testing, #general, #cloud, #sig-dev-tools and #sig-zfs. Whether your question is deployment‐oriented (“Why won’t my WSL image boot under Windows 10?”) or deep technical queries (“How do I backport an upstream kernel patch for my custom Kubernetes environment?”), there’s always someone online who’s navigated similar terrain. In my experience, responses often come within minutes, reflecting a truly global volunteer base.Bugzilla and Issue Tracking
The team leverages a public Bugzilla instance for tracking bugs, feature requests and enhancement proposals. If you encounter an anomaly—perhaps SELinux unexpectedly blocking power-profiles-daemon—you can search existing bugs or file a new one, attaching logs and steps to reproduce. The transparent triage process means you can see which bugs are prioritised for the next point release, or track resolutions as they occur.Mailing Lists and Forums
Although Mattermost is the hub for real‐time conversation, grudging old‐school devotees may appreciate the rocky-devel and rocky-users mailing lists. Real‐world examples often appear here—someone in Europe experimenting with s390x, another in Asia running a headless AMD EPYC server. Even archived threads can be invaluable when troubleshooting esoteric issues.Social Media and YouTube
The Rocky Linux team maintains an active presence on Twitter, Mastodon and YouTube. Regular “Community Updates” detail the progress of upcoming releases, spotlight new alt‐arch initiatives (like RISC-V support slated for Rocky Linux 10), and host live “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) sessions. Subscribing to the official YouTube channel can be a great way to stay abreast of in-depth walkthroughs on container deployments, SELinux policy customisation or integrating Rocky Linux into CI/CD pipelines.
When you combine all these resources, Rocky Linux support rivals—even exceeds—many commercially backed distributions. The transparency of development and the egalitarian nature of contributions foster a sense of shared ownership that’s rare in today’s corporate landscape.
Rocky Linux vs Other RHEL Distros
Choosing between Rocky Linux 9.6 and other RHEL-compatible or RHEL-derived distributions ultimately depends on organisational priorities—whether stability, community governance or commercial backing is the top criterion. Below, I provide a user-friendly, narrative and objective comparison highlighting the most salient points:
Rocky Linux vs AlmaLinux
Both Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux emerged in 2021 as direct responses to CentOS Stream’s change in direction.
Governance Model: Rocky Linux is governed by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation, with a board of community representatives and sponsors. AlmaLinux is managed by the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, led by the commercial sponsor CloudLinux, Inc. If you prefer a more grassroots, vendor-agnostic governance, Rocky Linux may appeal more. AlmaLinux, while also community‐driven, has deeper integration with CloudLinux’s ecosystem, which could be beneficial if you already rely on CloudLinux technologies.
Release Cadence and Syncing: Both track upstream RHEL releases very closely, often syncing within days. However, AlmaLinux tends to deliver point releases (e.g. 9.6) slightly faster in some instances, thanks to CloudLinux’s dedicated resources. Rocky Linux utilises its volunteer force and GitHub-centric build pipelines; occasionally, this introduces minor delays, but the difference is usually a matter of hours or a few days—rarely longer.
Community Engagement: While both boast vibrant Mattermost and forum communities, Rocky Linux’s forums generally skew towards discussions about infrastructure, performance tuning and alt-arch experimentation. AlmaLinux discussions often focus on onboarding and enterprise SaaS stack integrations, reflecting CloudLinux’s market focus.
Rocky Linux vs CentOS Stream
CentOS Stream functions as a rolling preview of the next RHEL minor release. In contrast, Rocky Linux 9.6 is a stable downstream rebuild of RHEL 9.6.
Stability vs Agility: If your organisation requires absolute production stability—where packages are largely frozen except for backported security fixes—Rocky Linux is the safer choice. CentOS Stream receives updates earlier, making it ideal for those who wish to test or develop against what will soon become RHEL. However, Stream can occasionally introduce subtle bugs before Red Hat’s full regression testing.
Update Commitment: Rocky Linux promises that point releases (9.6, 9.7, etc.) are identical to RHEL’s binary output. With CentOS Stream, you get a continuous flow of package updates, but some admins report that dependencies can shift more frequently, requiring closer monitoring.
Use-Case Suitability: For production database servers, web hosting clusters or any environment where changes must be minimised, downstream distributions like Rocky Linux are ideal. For CI/CD pipelines where developers want to validate compatibility before Red Hat’s decisions land, CentOS Stream remains a valuable testing ground.
Rocky Linux vs Oracle Linux
Oracle Linux is freely available and also fully binary‐compatible with RHEL. Oracle’s Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK) provides an optimised kernel for performance in Oracle Cloud environments.
Kernel Choices: Oracle Linux offers two kernels by default: the Red Hat Compatible Kernel (RHCK) and UEK. UEK can yield significant IO and database performance gains on Oracle hardware. Rocky Linux sticks with the standard RHEL kernel, prioritising absolute compatibility. If you’re heavily invested in Oracle’s hardware or cloud, Oracle Linux may deliver slight performance improvements. Conversely, if you need to ensure 100 % RHEL parity (for third-party vendor support), Rocky Linux’s unmodified kernel is preferable.
Commercial Support: Oracle provides paid support plans for Oracle Linux, including access to Oracle’s interactive support network and enhanced tools. Rocky Linux relies primarily on community support, though managed service providers have started offering commercial Rocky Linux support offerings.
Repository Ecosystem: Oracle Linux includes extra packages in repositories such as “EPEL‐compatible,” “ol7_” and “ol8_”. Depending on your needs, these can be valuable—but they also introduce a degree of vendor lock-in if you rely on Oracle-specific tools. Rocky Linux’s repositories are strictly the RHEL clones plus community sig repos (e.g. SIG/Cloud, SIG/ZFS).
Rocky Linux vs Red Hat Enterprise Linux (Self-Managed)
Cost: Rocky Linux is entirely free (both as in beer and as in freedom). Red Hat Enterprise Linux mandates subscription fees based on socket or core count, and if you require official Red Hat support, costs can swiftly rise into the tens of thousands of pounds per year. If budget is a major concern, Rocky Linux is obviously advantageous.
Vendor Support and Certification: Many enterprise applications—Oracle Database, IBM WebSphere, SAP HANA—only vendor‐certify on Red Hat with paid subscriptions. Rocky Linux, while binary‐compatible, is not always officially “supported” by third‐party vendors; it depends on the vendor’s tolerance for community OS variants. If you must have a vendor-backed, certified OS, you’ll need RHEL subscriptions.
Long-Term Lifecycle: RHEL 9 is supported until May 2027 (general) and May 2032 (security). Rocky Linux mirrors that schedule exactly. If your business requires extended support well into the next decade, both options satisfy that need—just note that RHEL offers Extended Update Support (EUS) for selected minor versions, which may or may not matter depending on your patch policies.
In summary, Rocky Linux 9.6 occupies a sweet spot for organisations that require the predictability and package stability of RHEL combined with a community-centred, licence-free approach. If you need vendor certification for critical commercial software, a paid RHEL subscription might be unavoidable. If you operate on Oracle-heavy infrastructure, Oracle Linux’s UEK could offer benefits. AlmaLinux offers nearly identical incentives to Rocky Linux, but if you prefer purely volunteer-driven governance (with no single corporate sponsor), Rocky Linux is arguably the “purer” community choice. CentOS Stream remains a fantastic testing ground but is not recommended for mission-critical production unless you’re prepared for a faster update cadence.
Conclusion
Rocky Linux 9.6 represents yet another stride in the journey of a truly community-driven enterprise Linux distribution. From its origins as a grass-roots response to the CentOS Stream announcement, Rocky Linux has proven its ability to deliver rock-solid stability while embracing modern tooling—be it the KIWI image builder or the WSL-compatible container archives. Throughout my deep dive into the official release materials, I was struck by how meticulously the Rocky maintainers align with upstream RHEL while retaining their own governance and transparency.
The latest iteration—9.6—does not merely replicate RHEL; it enhances the user experience with refined build pipelines, updated module streams (PHP 8.3, MySQL 8.4, nginx 1.26), and developer‐focused toolchain upgrades (LLVM 19, Rust 1.84.1, Go 1.23). Whether you’re a systems engineer provisioning a new server, a developer working on containerised microservices, or an enterprise architect evaluating support options, Rocky Linux 9.6 stands out as a compelling option.
If you already run Rocky Linux 9.x, the in-place upgrade is painless: a simple sudo dnf -y upgrade synchronises your environment to 9.6. For new adopters, the installation process via Anaconda remains consistent with previous releases—simply download the ISO from a nearby mirror, verify the checksum, and you’ll be guiding your team through an installation in moments. Should you encounter any issues—like the temporary ZFS module incompatibility—Rocky Linux’s community resources ensure that fixes and workarounds are never far away.
Ultimately, choosing Rocky Linux 9.6 means embracing a truly open, vendor-agnostic approach. For organisations seeking to minimise licensing costs without sacrificing enterprise stability, or for hobbyists who relish deep involvement in a vibrant community, Rocky Linux ticks all the boxes. Over the coming years, as RHEL 9 continues its lifecycle and Rocky Linux 10 looms on the horizon, I hope that Rocky Linux’s dedication to transparency, collaboration and rock-solid engineering will only grow stronger.
Disclaimer
Rocky Linux®, Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®, RHEL®, CentOS®, Oracle Linux® and Linux® are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners. This article is provided “as is,” at no charge. Users should conduct their own due diligence before deploying any software in production environments. Always back up critical data before upgrading or installing any operating system, and consider running tests in staging environments to validate compatibility. The Distrowrite Project disclaims any liability for issues arising from the use of any open-source software discussed herein; use at your own calculated risk.
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