Equinix Metal, formerly known as Packet.net, has ceased its bare-metal hosting services. This decision has created significant challenges for the Alpine Linux project, which has relied on Equinix Metal's support to ensure reliable and efficient operation of its infrastructure for many years.
Equinix Metal provided three data storage servers that supported the T1 mirroring infrastructure, ensuring fast and reliable downloads for Alpine Linux users worldwide. These servers utilized approximately 800 TB of traffic per month. Additionally, Equinix Metal provided two servers for CI runners supporting x86_64 and x86 architectures, and one development server used by participants supporting the project.
Following the closure of Equinix Metal, the Alpine Linux team is seeking alternative solutions for hosting its infrastructure. Primarily, the project requires colocation space near the Netherlands to simplify server installation and maintenance. Moreover, high-performance bare-metal servers are needed to replace the current mirroring infrastructure and support CI work.
If bare-metal servers are unavailable, virtual machines with sufficient storage, computing power, and networking capabilities may serve as an alternative for development and CI tasks.
In addition to hosting, the Alpine Linux project requires financial resources to sustain its operations. Users and organizations can now make financial contributions through the Open Collective platform, which will allow for direct support of the project's infrastructure and development.
If you or your organization can assist with hosting resources or financial contributions, you can contact the Alpine Linux team via email infra@alpinelinux.org. Your support will help ensure the stable operation and further development of Alpine Linux, an important component of the Open Source ecosystem.
The planned closure of Equinix Metal is set for June 2026.
Izvor: linux.org.ru
