AlmaLinux 9.3 – 10 Key Points

AlmaLinux 9.3 – 10 Key Points

1️⃣ Enterprise-Grade Stability
Built as a RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) clone, AlmaLinux 9.3 is a rock-solid distribution with long-term support, ideal for servers, workstations, and cloud environments. It replaces CentOS for users needing a stable, production-ready OS.

2️⃣ No Snap or Flatpak Bloat
AlmaLinux avoids Snap and Flatpak, providing a clean, traditional package management system via DNF/YUM. It focuses on enterprise-grade security, without forcing containerized app stores, ensuring better performance and compatibility with professional applications.

3️⃣ Multiple GUI Options
By default, AlmaLinux 9.3 installs GNOME as the primary desktop environment. However, users can manually install KDE Plasma, XFCE, MATE, Cinnamon, or LXQt using DNF, allowing for a customized graphical experience based on preferences and hardware needs.

4️⃣ Compatible with RHEL Software
AlmaLinux 9.3 is binary-compatible with RHEL 9, meaning all Red Hat packages, drivers, and software run without modification. This ensures seamless enterprise migrations, software availability, and long-term security updates via Red Hat’s ecosystem.

5️⃣ Secure and Enterprise-Ready
It includes SELinux, firewalld, OpenSCAP, and auditd for enhanced security. With built-in FIPS-140-2 compliance and Security Profiles, AlmaLinux is ideal for government, finance, healthcare, and corporate environments requiring strict security policies.

6️⃣ Long-Term Support (LTS) Until 2032
AlmaLinux 9.3 follows RHEL’s support cycle, providing 10 years of security updates and patches. This makes it a reliable choice for production servers, workstations, and enterprise deployments, ensuring stability for business-critical workloads.

7️⃣ DNF Package Management
AlmaLinux 9.3 uses DNF (Dandified Yum) for software installation and updates. It supports RPM packages, modular repositories, and containerized applications, offering powerful dependency management while maintaining lightweight, efficient performance.

8️⃣ Great Hardware Compatibility
AlmaLinux 9.3 supports Intel H510 chipset, Realtek Ethernet, and modern Wi-Fi cards out-of-the-box. Thanks to Linux Kernel 5.14+, it runs well on new AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA hardware, making it a versatile system for workstations and servers.

9️⃣ Cloud and Virtualization Support
It includes KVM, QEMU, Docker, Kubernetes, Podman, and Libvirt for virtualization. Pre-configured cloud images make it easy to deploy on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, VMware, and Proxmox, supporting containerized applications seamlessly.

🔟 Best Alternative to CentOS
After CentOS was discontinued, AlmaLinux became the best free, community-driven RHEL alternative. With no licensing fees, it’s perfect for enterprises, developers, and system administrators needing a stable, production-ready Linux distribution.