AlmaLinux 9.7 LVM (Alma Linux 9.7) | Support by ProComputers

My main use case for AlmaLinux  is using it as a container base image. As a product-based company, we use AlmaLinux  as the base image in our performance testing tool. According to client requirements, if they require a Debian  base container, we provide Ubuntu . If they require an RHEL  base container, we provide AlmaLinux. On top of that, we provide our product.

AlmaLinux offers the best features in that it is freeware for RHEL , and it is really reliable. AlmaLinux is reliable because it is stable, and it is easy to maintain since our environment is secure on layer one and AlmaLinux works on layer four. Security is not a concern for us in this context.

AlmaLinux has positively impacted my organization in terms of performance and cost savings. In terms of cost saving, using an RHEL-based container image requires a subscription for RHEL, and for AlmaLinux, we do not require any subscription. We can easily use it and save considerable money. We have a number of clients, and if we provide a container image to each client, using RHEL requires a subscription, but for AlmaLinux, we can provide it as freeware which saves substantial money. I cannot calculate the exact amount because it is not a fixed number for clients; it applies to more than fifty clients.

AlmaLinux could be improved by having some basic components, such as ifconfig and netstat, pre-installed on the container image, as that would be really helpful for us. I chose nine out of ten because for some use cases, any client may require something specific that necessitates a subscription for RHEL. Since it is not possible to add a subscription on AlmaLinux, we use the RHEL official container image with the subscription in those cases. If something is added to AlmaLinux that allows for some subscription or makes it exactly equal to RHEL, it would be perfect.

I have been using AlmaLinux for four to five years.

If you require an RHEL based container image or operating system, you must try AlmaLinux as it is freeware. I give this product a rating of nine out of ten.

My main use case for AlmaLinux  is based on my recent hands-on experience with AlmaLinux  9 for OpenStack  deployment, and I am happy to share my feedback on PeerSpot .

To give a quick example of how I am using AlmaLinux for my OpenStack  deployment, here is a brief review based on my recent production deployment experience. It involves deploying a full OpenStack Yoga environment for a private cloud setup, which is my personal project for practicing. The initial attempts on Red Hat distribution faced compatibility and subscription repository configuration hurdles, but I found solutions to switch to AlmaLinux 9.6, which offered perfect compatibility with Packstack without the licensing overhead.

There are key wins from my side: AlmaLinux 9 has zero subscription friction, direct access to the latest patches, and smooth installation of OpenStack Keystone, Nova, Neutron, and Horizon via Packstack. Moreover, stable OVS networking and floating IP configuration is very easy for me when using AlmaLinux, making it a reliable and highly recommended option for teams needing an enterprise-grade Red Hat compatible workflow without the subscription cost.

After struggling with various Linux distributions for almost seven days, mainly dealing with missing tools while installing network components like Neutron in OpenStack, I turned to AlmaLinux. It was then that I discovered that full OpenStack installation with AlmaLinux is highly compatible. Eventually, I successfully configured the full OpenStack platform, which is something my interviewer board also accepted.

My deployment of AlmaLinux starts locally to connect servers, requiring multiple nodes. Initially, I test in a local environment before transitioning toward a public cloud setup, which is a practice session for me. I also suggest to our public cloud team that they utilize AlmaLinux, as I find it quite comfortable.

Regarding AlmaLinux's scalability, I find that it scales well in both vertical and horizontal dimensions due to its one-to-one compatibility with Red Hat and an enterprise-grade kernel. For vertical scaling, adding more CPU, RAM, or storage is seamless, and tools like tune allow for quick performance profiling. Horizontally, while using AWS , I successfully scaled applications significantly during traffic spikes without OS-related issues, and I managed to add new compute nodes effortlessly within the OpenStack cluster.

The best features AlmaLinux offers include zero-subscription friction and direct access to the latest patches, which I think are essential. Additionally, it also provides up-to-date packages and stable versions that are very useful for me.

When I say direct access to the latest patches, it has greatly benefited my projects by being absolutely hassle-free. In contrast to Red Hat, where I had to configure the Yum server for updates or deal with subscriptions, AlmaLinux allows a far simpler process without the complexities involved.

At this moment, AlmaLinux is a very open platform. It not only includes the latest security patches but also integrates very recent AI technologies alongside the direct patches that help harden the server.

I have noticed several positive impacts of using AlmaLinux on my organization and personal projects. Trying multiple distributions like CentOS , Red Hat, and Ubuntu  for my personal OpenStack installation revealed how complex it can be to set up. I find AlmaLinux to be reliable, providing the latest patches on a secure platform. Many people suggest AlmaLinux 9 on public platforms for its excellent features, and I benefited from the step-by-step configuration provided, leading to the acceptance of my project.

I follow the documentation for AlmaLinux, which I believe could be more extensive for enterprise setups. My primary use case remains deploying private cloud infrastructure using OpenStack Yoga, thus suggesting improvements to cater to specific cloud instances like AWS  Graviton  or Azure  NVMe .

Driver or kernel updates for new hardware or cloud instances like AWS Graviton  or Azure  NVMe  tend to arrive a little later in AlmaLinux than they do in the Red Hat distribution. Therefore, I suggest that faster releases of cloud-optimized images and updated hardware drivers could enhance AlmaLinux's competitiveness. Additionally, I find it sometimes difficult to find answers on forums due to the community not being as large as that of Red Hat or CentOS . My suggestion is to create an active forum or Q&A session where developers can directly address user problems, growing the community and providing optional enterprise support tiers for large organizations.

Additionally, I have continued to consider improvements. For server administration and language runtime management, I encountered conflicts on production servers with older and newer versions of tools such as Python and Node.js. Simplifying  the application space management would reduce the friction in multi-language development environments. Moreover, including more pre-configured or auto-remediation scripts like CIS Benchmark or STIG compliance would be immensely helpful for enterprise security hardening.

My experience with AlmaLinux spans almost two years.

While I do not yet use AlmaLinux in a production capacity, my use case for my blogging activity has demonstrated its stability. Official blogs also verify that the stable version of AlmaLinux is acceptable for production purposes.

I have not utilized customer support for AlmaLinux as of yet, mainly relying on public resources and the official documentation.

Prior to using AlmaLinux, we utilized Red Hat, which posed significant financial challenges due to its subscription model and complexity. Comparatively, AlmaLinux serves as a very suitable alternative, matching the Red Hat environment with lower costs.

I follow the documentation for AlmaLinux, which I believe could be more extensive for enterprise setups. My primary use case remains deploying private cloud infrastructure using OpenStack Yoga, thus suggesting improvements to cater to specific cloud instances like AWS Graviton or Azure NVMe.

In terms of return on investment from using AlmaLinux, I maintain that since we use the free version, we have saved significantly and have encountered fewer security risks. If the AlmaLinux team announces that the latest version complies with CIS benchmarks and security protocols, I will continue to endorse AlmaLinux.

Currently, we have not experienced pricing with AlmaLinux, as I have used the free version so far. However, when we move to the production environment, I am suggesting that we implement AlmaLinux to improve our performance metrics.

Before settling on AlmaLinux, I evaluated other options while testing in a local environment, especially for students encountering financial constraints. Given its resemblance to Red Hat and CentOS, I recommended AlmaLinux as the best solution due to its free nature.

On a scale of one to ten, I would rate AlmaLinux at 8.5 overall.

The reason I chose 8.5 out of 10 stems from my perspective as a user focused on OpenStack deployments. Despite being subscription-free and reliable, I find some complexities in the documentation and troubleshooting guides which are not as comprehensive as Red Hat's. There is also a lack of 24x7 support, leading to a reliance on community assistance, and while the migration tools are useful, they do raise warnings with legacy systems. Additionally, hardware support is occasionally slow for newer driver versions, which is why I score it as I do.

My advice for others considering AlmaLinux is that it is a fantastic product and a reliable alternative to Red Hat, matching its kernel. I recommend that students use AlmaLinux for local deployments and testing packages, as it is secure and dependable. I gave AlmaLinux an overall rating of 8.5 out of 10.

I have been using AlmaLinux  for the last 2.5 years. In my organization, we use a Red Hat Enterprise version, but I required Red Hat alternatives to work in my home setup, which is why I chose AlmaLinux . I have hosted one site locally as well as in AWS , and during that time I have hosted that site on AlmaLinux. I deployed one EC2  instance using AlmaLinux OS, and on that OS, I set up that website.

AlmaLinux provides the DNF command to install packages, making it very easy to install any package. The patching and security patches are very reliable in my environment.

Before AlmaLinux, I used a CentOS  system. In CentOS , if you want to install any packages, you have to install that package using the RPM command, which only installs a specific package. With AlmaLinux using DNF, it installs the whole packages with their dependencies, which is a bit easier.

Stability is good in AWS  as well as when I installed it on VirtualBox, so stability and performance are very good. It uses minimum resources while providing high performance.

AlmaLinux does not require any specific additions from my side; it only requires strong support as Red Hat provides. This means the organization can make and afford to use it.

To improve AlmaLinux, some commands could be automated, such as expanding the repository of AlmaLinux or improving the shell experience.

There is not vast information about AlmaLinux on Google or the internet, so more information is required about how it works, how it can be used for hosting sites, and how to optimize performance. This documentation is needed on the internet.

I have been working for the last 2.5 years as a system engineer.

AlmaLinux is stable.

The scalability of AlmaLinux is good.

I had a good experience with the customer support team of AlmaLinux.

I was using CentOS, but after CentOS support was lost, I switched to AlmaLinux.

I do not have specific metrics to share regarding return on investment, but it is a cost-effective OS.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is good.

I did not evaluate other options before choosing AlmaLinux.

Computing power could be added while executing the commands to illustrate positive outcomes, but there are no specific metrics available at this time. Two points were deducted only for the support aspect. Any Linux distribution can be shifted to AlmaLinux, as it is very good to use and easy to manage. I would rate this product an 8 out of 10.