Rocky Linux

Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWindows

What Rocky Linux is

Rocky Linux is a free, open-source enterprise operating system built to match Red Hat Enterprise Linux bug for bug. It rebuilds sources directly from Red Hat Enterprise Linux and supports migration from other Enterprise Linux distributions. The project describes it as production ready, with a 10-year lifecycle for major releases: five years of active support followed by five years of security support. Only the latest minor release is supported. Rocky Linux offers boot, minimal, DVD, live desktop, cloud, container, and Windows Subsystem for Linux images, with deployments for physical systems, cloud services, virtual machines, and containers. DNF manages packages and upgrades in its RPM-based, RHEL-compatible environment. Rocky Linux 10 supports x86-64-v3, riscv64, aarch64, ppc64le, and s390x; support varies by release. It requires x86-64-v3 on x86_64 and has no 32-bit compatibility packages. Major-release upgrades are not supported, so moving to version 10 requires a fresh installation. Community and commercial support options are available.

Who it suits

Rocky Linux suits organizations and individuals seeking a RHEL-compatible operating system for servers, workstations, cloud instances, containers, or other listed device types. It may fit teams that can use a fresh installation when moving between major releases.

What it does well

Free, open-source operating system.
Ten-year lifecycle for major releases.
Migrates from other Enterprise Linux distributions.
Images cover cloud, containers, and WSL.
Supports five listed architectures in version 10.

What to know first

Major-version upgrades require a fresh installation.
Rocky Linux 10 requires x86-64-v3 on x86_64.
No 32-bit compatibility packages in version 10.
Only the latest minor release is supported.

Limits

Rocky Linux is free. Only the latest minor release is supported, and major-version upgrades are not supported; moving to Rocky Linux 10 requires a fresh installation. Rocky Linux 10 requires x86-64-v3 on x86_64 and omits 32-bit compatibility packages.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Rocky Linux	at no cost · 10-year support lifecycle · community supported	Free

As rockylinux.org lists them, read 1 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit the Rocky Linux website.
Choose a release and a suitable image for physical installation, cloud, container, or WSL use.
Check the release's supported architectures against your device.
For Rocky Linux 10 on x86_64, confirm the hardware supports x86-64-v3.
Install Rocky Linux, then use DNF for package management and upgrade commands.

Verdict

Rocky Linux offers a free RHEL-compatible system with broad deployment formats and a long major-release lifecycle. Check architecture requirements and plan a fresh installation for major-version moves.

Questions

How much does Rocky Linux cost?

The Rocky Linux plan is listed as free, at no cost.

Is Rocky Linux open source?

Yes. Rocky Linux is an open-source operating system.

Which devices and deployment types does it support?

Listed device types include servers, workstations and desktops, Raspberry Pi, virtual machines, cloud instances, and containers. Deployment options include physical installation media, cloud images, AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Docker OCI, and WSL.

Which architectures does Rocky Linux 10 support?

Rocky Linux 10 supports x86-64-v3, riscv64, aarch64, ppc64le, and s390x. Architecture support varies by release.

Can I upgrade between major releases?

No. Major-release upgrades are unsupported, so moving to Rocky Linux 10 requires a fresh installation.

Where can I get support?

Community support is available through Mattermost, IRC, forums, Reddit, and mailing lists. The project lists commercial providers including CIQ, MontaVista, and OpenLogic by Perforce.

Facts from Rocky Linux's own pages

Cloud availability: Official cloud images include Generic Cloud and EC2 images, and the download page lists AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure offerings. · rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Commercial support: Commercial support providers listed by Rocky Linux include CIQ, MontaVista, and OpenLogic by Perforce. · rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Community support: Community support is available through Mattermost, IRC, forums, Reddit, and mailing lists. · docs.rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Distribution formats: Rocky releases provide boot, minimal, DVD, live desktop, cloud, container, and Windows Subsystem for Linux images. · docs.rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Governance: The Rocky Linux project is hosted by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation. · rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Hardware limitation: Rocky Linux 10 requires x86-64-v3 on x86_64 and no longer includes 32-bit compatibility packages. · docs.rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Migration: Rocky Linux supports migration from other Enterprise Linux distributions. · rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Origin: Gregory Kurtzer announced Rocky Linux in December 2020 after Red Hat announced the end of CentOS development. · rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Production readiness: The project describes Rocky Linux as production ready with regular updates and a 10-year support lifecycle. · rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Purpose: Rocky Linux is an open-source enterprise operating system designed to be 100% bug-for-bug compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. · rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Release lifecycle: Rocky Linux 10 has general support through May 31, 2030 and security support through May 31, 2035. · docs.rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Security features: Rocky Linux 10.1 enables post-quantum cryptography algorithms by default in system-wide cryptographic policies and supports ML-KEM hybrid key exchange in FIPS mode. · docs.rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Security repository: Rocky Linux provides an optional opt-in security repository for urgent fixes ahead of upstream, without support guarantees for that development repository. · rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Source base: Rocky Linux rebuilds sources directly from Red Hat Enterprise Linux. · rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Supported architectures: Rocky Linux 10 supports x86-64-v3, riscv64, aarch64, ppc64le, and s390x. · docs.rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026
Upgrade limitation: Rocky Linux does not support upgrades between major releases; moving to Rocky Linux 10 requires a fresh installation. · docs.rockylinux.org, 1 Oct 2026

Where Rocky Linux stands on Freedom251

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