Alpine 3.23.0 released
Alpine Linux 3.23.0 has rolled out, marking the beginning of its v3.23 stable series. This release brings a host of significant updates, starting with a new Linux kernel version 6.18. For developers and users alike, there's quite a lot packed in this release.
Alpine has officially moved to GCC 15 as its primary compiler toolchain. Alongside that, you'll find the latest major updates for several key components: LLVM is at version 21; Node.js (using the Long-Term Support branch) bumps up to LTS 24.11; Rust hits 1.91; Valkey gets updated to 9.0; ZFS lands on 2.4.0-rc4; Crystal reaches 1.18; Docker is now at version 29; .NET brings in 10.0; GNOME jumps to 49; Go advances to 1.25; ISC Kea gets updated to 3.0; KDE Plasma updates nicely to 6.5.3; LXQt sees its own update cycle with 2.3.0; OpenJDK is now on 25; Perl is at version 5.42; PHP upgrades from previous versions in the series to 8.5; PostgreSQL reaches a new major release of 18; Qt gets the latest stable at 6.10; and Sway updates to 1.11.
The package manager apk-tools has also taken a step forward, landing on version 3 for this Alpine v3.23.0 launch. It's designed with upgrading in mind from previous versions, aiming for a smooth transition. But if you're using the older library libapk directly, be aware that this major overhaul might bring some breaking changes because it represents a significant update. They kept compatibility in focus by maintaining the v3 index and package format for now.
A noteworthy configuration shift is replacing the old 'linux-edge' kernel profile with 'linux-stable.' Think of 'linux-stable' as stepping into stable territory, focusing on regular updates similar to what 'linux-lts' used to do before its transition. On systems that previously relied on 'linux-edge,' you don't need to panic; apk will automatically install the new 'linux-stable' profile and manage your kernel transitions accordingly.
Are you upgrading from a previous release? Make sure to use the specific command: apk upgrade --available. This approach helps ensure things go smoothly across versions. There's one item that couldn't fit in immediately; the /usr-merged feature is put on hold for now until later development allows it back into this cycle.
If your system has separate root file systems for / and /usr (like older setups using libapk), you'll need to be cautious during this major release upgrade. This specific configuration isn't officially supported anymore with the new apk-tools v3, so manual merging might be required if that's what you're running into on day one.
Check out the wiki pages linked in the announcement for detailed instructions and further context on how to handle these changes effectively when upgrading or exploring version 3.23.0.
Alpine 3.23.0 released
Alpine 3.23.0 released
