Amazon has published the first stable release of a new general purpose distribution, Amazon Linux 2023 (LTS), which is cloud-optimized and integrates with Amazon EC2 tools and advanced features. The distribution has replaced the Amazon Linux 2 product and is distinguished by its move away from using CentOS as the basis in favor of the Fedora Linux package base. Assemblies are generated for x86_64 and ARM64 (Aarch64) architectures. Although primarily targeted at AWS (Amazon Web Services), the distribution also comes in the form of a generic virtual machine image that can be used on-premises or in other cloud environments.
The distribution has a predictable maintenance cycle, with major new releases every two years, with intervening quarterly updates. Every significant release branches off from the current Fedora Linux release at the time. Interim releases are planned to include new versions of some popular packages such as Python, Java, Ansible, and Docker, but these versions will ship in parallel in a separate namespace.
The total support time for each release will be five years, of which two years the distribution will be under active development and three years in the maintenance phase with the formation of corrective updates. The user will be given the opportunity to link to the state of the repositories and independently choose the tactics for installing updates and switching to new releases.
Amazon Linux 2023 is built using components from Fedora 34, 35, and 36, as well as from CentOS Stream 9. The distribution uses its own kernel, built on top of the 6.1 LTS kernel from kernel.org and maintained independently of Fedora. Updates for the Linux kernel are released using "live patching" technology, which makes it possible to fix vulnerabilities and apply important fixes to the kernel without rebooting the system.
In addition to the transition to the Fedora Linux package base, significant changes include the default inclusion of the SELinux forced access control system in the βenforcingβ mode and the use of advanced features in the Linux kernel to enhance security, such as verification of kernel modules by digital signature. The distribution has also done work to optimize performance and reduce boot times. It is possible to use file systems other than XFS as a file system for the root partition.
Source: opennet.ru