One significant development in this release is the introduction of WSL-compatible container archives, which allow users to run Rocky Linux images seamlessly on Windows systems. Additionally, Oracle Cloud images have been updated for better performance and consistency.
The testing process for Rocky Linux 9.6 involved comprehensive manual and automated evaluations across various environments to ensure stability and reliability prior to release. Users upgrading from Rocky Linux 9.x can do so easily through the command line or desktop applications, while users of other Enterprise Linux 9-based distributions can transition to Rocky Linux 9.6 using the migrate2rocky utilities. However, there is no official upgrade path for users migrating from Rocky Linux 8, and a fresh installation is recommended for those users.
There are also known issues with this release, including the failure of the ZFS module to load and a SELinux-related problem affecting hosts with a passt back end installed. Users experiencing these issues are advised to consult the release notes for further guidance.
Rocky Linux expresses gratitude to its community of volunteers and contributors whose efforts were instrumental in bringing this release to fruition. Special recognition is given to individuals such as Alan Marshall, Alexey Melezhik, and many others for their contributions. The project also acknowledges the support from sponsors and partners, as well as the upstream development efforts from Fedora Linux and CentOS Stream.
Overall, Rocky Linux 9.6 represents an important step forward for the project, providing users with enhanced functionality and improved performance, while maintaining a strong commitment to community involvement and collaboration.
Future Directions
As Rocky Linux continues to evolve, future releases are expected to focus on further refining user experience, enhancing security features, and expanding compatibility across various platforms. Ongoing feedback from the community will be vital in shaping the direction of subsequent updates, ensuring that Rocky Linux remains a reliable choice for enterprise-level deployments. Additionally, the integration of newer technologies and tools will likely be a priority to keep pace with the fast-evolving software landscapeRocky Linux 9.6 released
Rocky Linux 9.6 has been released. The release encompasses new features and modifications, including dynamic programming languages, web and database servers, performance tools, and debuggers. The release additionally presents a new image type, compatible container archives for Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), along with updated Oracle Cloud images. The testing process for Rocky Linux 9.6 encompasses both manual and automated evaluations across diverse environments and configurations. Users have the option to upgrade from Rocky Linux 9.x to Rocky Linux 9.6 using the command line interface or desktop applications such as GNOME Software or KDE Discover. Individuals utilizing other Enterprise Linux 9-based distributions have the option to transition their installations to Rocky Linux 9.6 by employing the migrate2rocky utilities. Rocky Linux 9 does not provide an official upgrade path from any version of Rocky Linux 8. Current known issues involve the ZFS module failing to load on Rocky Linux 9.6, as well as a SELinux issue present on hosts with a Passback end installed.
