AlmaLinux 10.1 Beta released
The AlmaLinux OS Foundation has recently made available the beta version of AlmaLinux 10.1, dubbed "Heliotrope Lion," across various architectures. This beta release is now accessible on all supported platforms, including Intel/AMD (x86_64), Intel/AMD (x86_64_v2), ARM64 (aarch64), IBM PowerPC (ppc64le), and IBM Z (s390x). Users can download the necessary ISO files from repo.almalinux.org.
This beta release may have bugs that could affect system stability, so it shouldn't be used for production installations. However, users looking to test the features of the upcoming stable release will find AlmaLinux 10.1 Beta a valuable resource.
One notable feature in AlmaLinux 10.1 is support for the Btrfs filesystem, which was initially introduced in AlmaLinux OS Kitten and has now been extended to encompass both kernel and user-space enablement. This allows users to install AlmaLinux on a Btrfs filesystem from the outset. The initial focus of Btrfs support was limited to the installer and storage management stack, but broader integration within the AlmaLinux software collection for Btrfs features is expected in future updates.
AlmaLinux 10.1 Beta also includes various performance enhancements, updated developer toolsets, and incorporates the latest versions of key compilers and utilities, such as GCC, LLVM, and Rust. This release also introduces improved debugging and networking tools to ensure smoother performance and efficiency. Additionally, new versions of Podman, Buildah, Libvirt, and QEMU-KVM have upgraded container and virtualization support.
This beta version enhances security by updating SELinux policies, OpenSSL, and SSSD to maintain system safety and reliability. The full release notes for AlmaLinux 10.1 Beta are available on the wiki: AlmaLinux OS 10.1 Beta Release Notes.
The update also includes a range of other improvements, including compiler updates with GCC 14.3.1, GCC Toolset 15, LLVM Toolset 20.1.8, and Rust Toolset 1.88.0. Performance tools and debuggers have been updated to GDB 16.3, Valgrind 3.25.1, Bpftrace 0.23.5, and rsyslog 8.2506.0.
Security updates include OpenSSL 3.5.1, SELinux-policy 42.1.7, SSSD 2.11.1, Crypto-policies 20250804, NetworkManager 1.54.0, iproute 6.14.0, and ethtool 6.15.
Other notable updates include:
- Container and virtualization support with new versions of Podman, Buildah, Libvirt, and QEMU-KVM.
- Improved security through updated SELinux policies, OpenSSL, and SSSD.
- New performance tools and debuggers to enhance system efficiency.
A key difference between AlmaLinux 10.1 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10 is the inclusion of Btrfs support and x86-64-v2 architecture in the former. RHEL is shifting its base architecture version to v3, which will drop support for older CPUs. However, AlmaLinux OS 10 will continue to provide support for the x86-64v2 architecture for users who require it.
Additionally, re-enabled frame pointers by default allow system-wide real-time tracing and profiling to optimize performance. SPICE support has also been re-enabled for both server and client applications. KVM has been enabled for IBM POWER in the virtualization stack, allowing users to continue using KVM as they did in AlmaLinux 8.
The release also includes updated device drivers that have brought back PCI IDs for hardware that was previously turned off, like aacraid, be2iscsi, be2net, hpsa, lpfc, megaraid_s.
AlmaLinux 10.1 Beta Now Available!
Hello Community! The AlmaLinux OS Foundation is announcing the availability of AlmaLinux 10.1 Beta “Heliotrope Lion” for all supported architectures: Intel/AMD (x86_64) Intel/AMD (x86_64_v2) ARM64 (aarch64) IBM PowerPC (ppc64le) IBM Z (s390x) Beta ISOs are available at repo.almalinux.org. A usual reminder: this is a BETA release. It should not be used for production installations. The provided upgrade instructions should not be used on production machines unless you don’t mind if something breaks. If you are looking to see how things are going to work in the stable release, you are on the right track.
