Oracle has published the release of the Oracle Linux 8.6 distribution kit, created on the basis of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 package base. An 8.6 GB iso-image prepared for x86_64 and ARM64 architectures (aarch64) is distributed for download without restrictions. For Oracle Linux, unlimited and free access to the yum repository with binary package updates with bug fixes (errata) and security issues is open. Separately supported Application Stream modules are also available for download.
In addition to the RHEL kernel package (based on the 4.18 kernel), Oracle Linux offers its own Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel 6, based on the Linux 5.4 kernel and optimized for Oracle industrial software and hardware. The kernel sources, including the breakdown into individual patches, are available in the public Oracle Git repository. The Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel is installed by default, positioned as an alternative to the regular RHEL kernel package and provides a number of advanced features, such as DTrace integration and improved Btrfs support.
The new version of Oracle Linux offers the release of the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel R6U3, which stabilizes support for the WireGuard protocol, expands the capabilities of the io_uring asynchronous input/output interface, improves support for nested virtualization on systems with AMD CPUs, and expands NVMe support. Otherwise, the functionality of the Oracle Linux 8.6 and RHEL 8.6 releases is completely identical (the list of changes in Oracle Linux 8.6 repeats the list of changes in RHEL 8.6).
Additionally, Oracle is testing a beta release of the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel 7 (UEK R7) variant, developed for Oracle Linux as an alternative to the standard package with the kernel from Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The kernel sources, including the breakdown into individual patches, will be published in the public Oracle Git repository after release.
Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel 7 is based on the Linux kernel 5.15 (UEK R6 was based on the 5.4 kernel), which is updated with new features, optimizations and fixes, and is also tested for compatibility with most applications running on RHEL, and is specifically optimized for working with industrial software and Oracle equipment. Key changes in the UEK R7 kernel include improved support for the Aarch64 architecture, transition to the DTrace 2.0 dynamic debugging system, improved support for Btrfs, expanded capabilities of the eBPF subsystem, a new slab memory controller, and a split lock detector. and Multipath TCP (MPTCP) support.
In addition to Oracle Linux, Rocky Linux (developed by the community under the leadership of the founder of CentOS with the support of a specially created company Ctrl IQ), AlmaLinux (developed by CloudLinux, together with the community), VzLinux (prepared by Virtuozzo), SUSE are also positioned as alternatives to RHEL 8.x Liberty Linux and EuroLinux. In addition, Red Hat has made RHEL available for free to open source organizations and individual developer environments with up to 16 virtual or physical systems.
Source: opennet.ru