🥇Ninth ALT Platform

Introduced release Ninth Platform (p9) — a new stable branch of ALT repositories based on free software repositories Sisyphus (Sisyphus). The platform is designed for the development, testing, distribution, updating, and support of comprehensive solutions across a wide range — from embedded devices to enterprise servers and data centers; it is created and developed by the ALT Linux Team, supported by the company Basalt Software.

ALT p9 contains package repositories and infrastructure for working with eight architectures:

four main (synchronous assembly, open repositories): x86_64, i586, aarch64 (ARMv8), ppc64le (Power8/9);

two additional (catch-up assembly, open repositories): mipsel (32-bit MIPS), armh (ARMv7);

two proprietary (separate assembly, images and repositories available to hardware owners on request): e2k (Elbrus-4C), e2kv4 (Elbrus-8C/1C+).

The assembly for all architectures is done exclusively natively; images for ARM/MIPS include options for running in QEMU. The list of architecture-dependent packages for e2k is available along with information on standard branches. Since 2018, the unstable repository Sisyphus has supported the rv64gc architecture (riscv64), which will be added to p9 after the emergence of user systems on it.

The Ninth Platform offers users and developers the ability to utilize Russian systems such as Elbrus, Tavolga, Yadro, Elvis, and compatible hardware from a wide range of global manufacturers, including powerful ARMv8 servers from Huawei and various single-board systems ARMv7 and ARMv8 (such as nVidia Jetson Nano, Raspberry Pi 2/3, and those based on Allwinner like Orange Pi Prime; work on RPi4 is underway).

The main version of the Linux kernel (std-def) at release time is 4.19.66; additionally, a more recent kernel (un-def) 5.2.9 is available. A significant difference from p8 is the transition of the RPM package manager to version 4.13 as a base (previously a deep fork of version 4.0.4 was used); among other things, this provides support for rpmlib(FileDigests), which was previously lacking in many third-party packages like Chrome, and the GNOME application center for those in need of a store.

Support added domestic cryptographic algorithms using openssl-gost-engine; a new package gostsum has also been introduced, allowing the computation of checksums using the GOST R 34.11-2012 algorithm.

Significant attention has been given to infrastructure-free solutions, including a unified Samba build suitable for deploying both file services and domain controllers. Active Directory.

Docker images for aarch64, i586, ppc64le, and x86_64 architectures are available at hub.docker.com; images for LXC/LXD are available at images.linuxcontainers.org.

To get started quickly with the Ninth Platform, "Basalt SPo" offers users who prefer to customize their system composition and appearance bootable images of starter kit sets (starterkits) for supported architectures.

Beta versions of Alt distributions are also available on the Ninth Platform — Workstation (standard and K), Server, Education; release 9.0 is scheduled for Fall 2019. Work is also underway on Simply Linux 9 and a new distribution — Alt Virtualization Server. "Basalt SPo" invites all developers to participate in joint testing to ensure compatibility with the Ninth ALT platform.

Source: opennet.ru