Red Hat has released two major updates to its Enterprise Linux platform: RHEL 10.1 and RHEL 9.7, which bring various improvements to enhance security, reliability, and productivity. A notable feature in RHEL 10.1 is an offline command-line AI assistant, currently in development preview, that helps with common tasks like installation and troubleshooting without an internet connection. The update also includes enhancements such as a higher context limit, validated AI accelerator drivers for integrating machine learning hardware, and improved system management features like reproducible builds and soft reboots. Additionally, RHEL 10.1 introduces new tools, security features, and performance tweaks, including PQC support, OpenTelemetry with TPM security enabled, and an image builder CLI to simplify integration into continuous workflows.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.1 and 9.7 released
Red Hat has released two major versions of its Enterprise Linux platform: RHEL 10.1 and RHEL 9.7. These updates bring various improvements.
Focusing on RHEL 10.1 now, one neat addition is an offline command-line AI assistant currently in development preview. This tool specifically targets customers with a Red Hat Satellite subscription. So, if you're using Satellite to manage your systems securely and off the grid, this new feature might be intriguing.
This assistant uses artificial intelligence to help with common RHEL tasks like installation and troubleshooting directly from the command line, even without an internet connection. This is particularly significant in environments that restrict online access or require complete offline operation for security reasons. And because it runs locally, there are no dependencies on cloud services either.
Getting that satellite subscription means you can tap into this AI helpdesk, which could really streamline things for companies focused on secure and reliable operations. It feels like a natural step forward.
Elsewhere in the update, RHEL 10.1 also bumps its context limit from just 2KB to a much more useful 32KB. Think of it like giving users a bigger brain when chatting with the system, allowing for deeper conversations and handling larger tasks without hitting arbitrary limits sooner. This helps tackle bigger data streams or longer log files, making interactions smoother.
Another core aim seems to be easing into AI technology within enterprises. Red Hat is tackling this head-on by offering validated AI accelerator drivers through extensions like the RHEL Extensions Repository and the Supplementary Repository. So, how can you integrate new machine learning hardware such as GPUs and TPUs into your reliable operating system? That process might just get simpler.
The company has already put driver packages from NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel into these repositories. This essentially takes one headache out of the day for IT teams, reducing the time spent hunting down and manually updating drivers and freeing up people to focus elsewhere.
On the system management side, RHEL 10.1 introduces a systemd capability called image mode that includes soft reboots. Basically, admins can update user-facing bits like applications or libraries without fully rebooting everything , keeping the core kernel stable while still making changes needed for upgrades and fixes. This should reduce downtime considerably.
There's also a focus on ensuring reliability when building these images: reproducible builds for container tools in image mode mean you'll get identical containers every single time, right down to metadata if the underlying content is the same. This boosts security confidence and makes automation easier.
For developers working with RHEL 10.1, productivity gains are clearly a goal. It features updated tools like Go, Rust, GCC, .NET, and Valkey. Often, these updates incorporate built-in performance tweaks or security enhancements.
Continuing its crypto evolution, PQC support in RHEL keeps moving forward. Version 10.1 specifically adds more robust encryption algorithms to secure communication during network transit. This builds on earlier work and helps future-proof data safety against emerging threats.
OpenTelemetry is another tool getting attention now with TPM (Trusted Platform Module) security enabled across major clouds like AWS, Azure, and GCP via the OpenTelemetry Collector feature introduced in RHEL 10.1. It brings hardware-level trust to software monitoring setups, which is beneficial for complex hybrid environments where parts might be purely cloud-based.
Lastly, creating a new base system image used to require keeping several running services handy or managing virtual machines just for that purpose. The new image builder CLI currently in tech preview changes things by letting you build clean RHEL images offline without needing those existing services up and running first. This simplifies integration into continuous workflows like CI/CD pipelines significantly.
For more information, see the official announcements below:
What's new in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.1
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.1 introduces an offline, locally available command-line assistant for enhanced security in disconnected environments, offering AI-powered guidance for various RHEL tasks. This update includes increased context limits for the assistant, vendor-validated AI accelerator drivers, and new systemd capabilities for soft-reboots, reducing downtime and enhancing system agility. Additionally, RHEL 10.1 features updated developer toolsets, including new versions of programming languages and services, and advancements in post-quantum cryptography and cloud security, ensuring a more secure and efficient computing environment.
Introducing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.7
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.7 introduces several key features from RHEL 10, including post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms for enhanced security against future quantum threats. The update also includes an offline, locally available version of the RHEL command-line assistant, benefiting users in regulated industries who need AI-powered guidance without sacrificing compliance. Additionally, RHEL 9.7 offers updated developer tools along with support for reproducible image builds for container tools, which ensures consistent container images. The update also enhances hybrid cloud encryption with support for Trusted Platform Module (TPM) on major cloud platforms, improving the security of cryptographic keys and telemetry data.
