The list of Operating System alternatives for dedicated servers and OpenVZ virtual private servers has been expanded to include AlmaLinux 9.
The AlmaLinux 9 Linux distribution is now available as an OS option for all dedicated server and OpenVZ VPS configurations on our reseller hosting platform.
For now, this version of AlmaLinux will be offered without an option for Control Panel installation.
Also, AlmaLinux 8, which has been available for some time on the order form, can now be installed with any Control Panel based on the customer’s preference (Hepsia, DirectAdmin, or cPanel).
What is AlmaLinux About?
AlmaLinux is an open-source, community-owned, and governed enterprise-grade Linux distribution.
The operating system is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and has been developed with long-term stability in mind, providing a robust production-grade environment.
Despite being relatively new on the scene, it has already grown to the point of powering sizable cloud infrastructures and data centers internationally.
AlmaLinux as a replacement of CentOS
AlmaLinux was born from the efforts of the Linux community, working together to create a stable substitution for CentOS, which was a popular Linux distribution several years ago.
CentOS was first released in 2004 and was acquired by Red Hat around a decade later.
After Red Hat was acquired by IBM in 2019, the company discontinued CentOS at the end of 2020.
At the time, CentOS was among the most popular Linux distribution choices worldwide; thus, its discontinuation caused quite a stir among organizations and administrators.
CentOS was hence “inherited” by an upstream distribution named CentOS Stream, which is no longer directly based on RHEL, but more like a testing ground for it.
Despite the upstream Linux distributions having several remarkable features and shorter release cycles, they tend to lack the level of stability that enterprise-grade solutions require.
To fill the void left by the termination of the CentOS Linux stable release, the creators of CloudLinux OS released a new RHEL distribution called AlmaLinux in March 2021.
Full compatibility with RHEL
The AlmaLinux distribution is identically binary compatible with RHEL, similar to how CentOS used to be.
As a further benefit, users get a robust, enterprise-grade OS without having to pay the fees associated with RHEL.
All that makes AlmaLinux a great CentOS alternative for enterprises and individuals.
Simplified migration from CentOS
A migration from a CentOS setup to AlmaLinux is now possible thanks to the efforts of the AlmaLinux community.
A migration tool, called аlmalinux-deploy, makes the process of switching from CentOS to AlmaLinux easy to follow, thereby saving administrators a great deal of time and effort.
CentOS-based organizations with hundreds of servers rely on this to maintain business continuity.
Solid financial and community support
Offering streamlined migration from CentOS, AlmaLinux is sponsored by an ever-growing number of top cloud service providers; these include CloudLinux, Amazon, and Microsoft.
A large and diverse community of developers, testers, and enthusiasts supports its development and success.
These are all contributions that help to enable the free distribution of AlmaLinux.
How to make use of AlmaLinux?
AlmaLinux can be used on both desktops and servers, giving administrators access to software testing and development environments similar to those running on servers.
The working environment of AlmaLinux is also very similar to that of RHEL or CentOS.
As such, if you are considering migration to AlmaLinux, you should think about installing it on a virtual machine; this can help give a sense of how it works.
Ideally, you should test the AlmaLinux-deploy migration tool in a simulated environment before using it on live servers.
To get AlmaLinux for your dedicated server or OpenVZ VPS, simply select it from the drop-down list of OS preferences at checkout:
The server will be created as soon as possible by our administrators so you can begin experiencing AlmaLinux’s benefits in full.