AlmaLinux just did something new. On May 26, the community-driven project released two major versions at once. Version 9.8, codenamed “Olive Jaguar,” and version 10.2, known as “Lavender Lion,” arrived together. No staggered schedule. No separate fanfare. Just simultaneous availability across mirrors.
Engineering Wins Enable Parallel Tracks
This marks the first time the foundation has delivered two stable drops on the same calendar day. Andrew Lukoshko, AlmaLinux Lead Architect and ALESCo Chairman, pointed to years of work behind the scenes. The Build, Core, and Infrastructure SIGs refined release procedures. They added automation. They tightened quality assurance pipelines. The result? Two parallel release trains that no longer slow each other down. As Lukoshko noted in the AlmaLinux blog post, “This is the direct result of concerted effort… seeing it land is the proof that the work paid off.”
Users gain immediate access. No more waiting a week for the second version. Same quality. Same day. The payoff shows in production environments where teams run both 9-series stability and 10-series features side by side.
But don’t mistake speed for haste. Both releases ship with fresh patches for five high-profile vulnerabilities disclosed in recent weeks. Copy Fail. Dirty FRAG. Fragnesia. Nginx Rift. SSH Keysign Pwn. Fresh installs or upgrades from prior point releases get these fixes baked in. Security teams can breathe easier.
AlmaLinux 9.8 builds on the established 9 series. Its kernel sits at 5.14.0-687.5.3.el9_8. The distribution adds Python 3.14. It refreshes module streams for MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and Ruby. Node.js 24 arrives as an updated module. Container tools receive the latest Podman, Buildah, libvirt, QEMU-KVM, and skopeo. Security components gain updates too: OpenSSL, OpenSSH, GnuTLS, SELinux policies, crypto-policies.
One change stands out. An ALESCo-approved kernel backport fixes excessive CPU consumption by systemd and ps during task cleanup. The team first submitted the patch upstream to CentOS Stream 9. It was deferred until at least RHEL 9.9. ALESCo voted to bring it forward. Production systems see the fix now instead of months later. Short-term relief. Long-term alignment with community needs.
Meanwhile, AlmaLinux 10.2 pushes the newer branch forward. Kernel 6.12.0-211.7.3.el10_2 powers it. New language and database packages abound: Python 3.14, PostgreSQL 18, MariaDB 11.8, Ruby 4.0, PHP 8.4. Desktop users receive GNOME 49. Additional tools include SDL3, libkrun, trustee, and FIDO Device Onboard support. Container and virtualization stacks match the refreshed versions seen in 9.8. Security updates cover OpenSSL, OpenSSH, SSSD, SELinux, crypto-policies, and Keylime.
The 10 series carries forward deliberate differences from upstream. Btrfs boot support remains. The CRB repository stays enabled by default. A parallel x86_64_v2 build offers coverage for older hardware, complete with matching EPEL packages. And now i686 userspace packages graduate to stable. First introduced in the Kitten 10 preview, this addition supports legacy 32-bit software, CI pipelines, and container workloads. Practical. Targeted. Useful for specific enterprise scenarios.
Further enhancements in 10.2 include full KVM for IBM POWER, re-enabled frame pointers for easier system-wide profiling, restored SPICE support for server and client, and Firefox plus Thunderbird delivered as standard RPMs in the repositories. A long list of older storage and networking drivers returns: Adaptec, Dell PERC, HP, Mellanox, QLogic, Emulex, LSI, Broadcom. Hardware compatibility expands. See the extended hardware support table in the 10.2 release notes for complete details.
Both versions offer far more than base ISOs. Cloud images for AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, and generic cloud-init are rolling out. Container images, including alternatives to UBI, stand ready. Live media covers GNOME, KDE, XFCE, MATE, and others. Vagrant boxes, Raspberry Pi images, WSL support, LXC/LXD templates—all available or arriving shortly after repository synchronization. The foundation coordinates builds so images follow public repositories quickly.
Recent coverage echoes the significance. Phoronix reported the dual release hours after announcement, highlighting AlmaLinux 10.2 as the community counterpart to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.2. 9to5Linux detailed the new packages and positioned the distribution as a free alternative. On X, the official AlmaLinux account celebrated the milestone with clear enthusiasm, while community accounts shared download links and early feedback.
Support windows remain consistent with prior policy. AlmaLinux 9.x receives updates through 2032. Version 10.x follows its own cadence. Minor releases reach end of life when the next arrives, yet security patches continue. Organizations gain flexibility. They can standardize on 9.8 for conservative deployments. Or adopt 10.2 where newer language runtimes and desktop features matter.
The foundation invites participation. Report bugs through the tracker. Join the testing channel in community chat. Post in the dedicated 9.8 or 10.2 forums. Engage on Reddit or X. Every test case, every report shapes the next cycle. The project runs on volunteer effort and corporate sponsorship alike. Its independence from any single vendor defines its appeal.
Look closer at the backport story. That systemd CPU fix illustrates how ALESCo functions. The group evaluates community pain points. It weighs upstream timelines against real-world impact. Then it acts. In this case, the patch moves from proposal to production faster than the commercial path. Similar decisions appear in other AlmaLinux deviations: Btrfs boot, default CRB, expanded drivers. The distribution listens. Then it ships what users request.
Performance gains accompany the new packages. Updated compilers often deliver faster binaries. New database versions bring query optimizations and security hardening. GNOME 49 refines the desktop experience for administrators who manage systems locally. Frame pointers simplify profiling without custom kernels. These details accumulate. They turn a solid base into a preferred platform for developers and operators.
Cloud and container focus reflects where workloads run today. Podman and Buildah updates ease rootless container adoption. Libvirt and QEMU improvements strengthen virtualization. AWS and Azure images simplify orchestration. Teams deploying at scale notice the difference. Consistency across architectures—from x86_64_v2 to ppc64le to s390x—matters for hybrid environments.
Security patches tell another story. The five CVEs addressed span kernel, networking, and web components. Including them at launch demonstrates mature processes. No last-minute scrambles. No delayed availability. Enterprises evaluating distributions weigh this track record. AlmaLinux has built trust through timely, transparent responses.
So what comes next? The foundation already eyes AlmaLinux Day in Los Angeles on July 18. Community members can submit talks until early June. Elections and further roadmap items appear in recent newsletters. The project continues refining its build system. Parallel releases may become routine. Faster iteration without quality loss benefits everyone downstream.
Downloads start at the mirrors. Torrents accelerate distribution. Release notes on the wiki provide exhaustive changelogs. Test environments first, then production. The community stands ready to assist newcomers. For systems administrators balancing stability against feature demands, today’s dual release offers clear choices. One path emphasizes maturity. The other brings fresh capabilities. Both arrive tested. Both carry the same commitment to freedom and compatibility.
And the milestone? It signals maturity. A community project that once raced to match CentOS now innovates its own release cadence. Better automation. Stronger quality gates. Deliberate differences that serve users rather than mirror every upstream choice. The result lands today. Two versions. One date. Real progress.
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