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Red Hat Enterprise Linux

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Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Company typeCommercial product
IndustrySoftware
PredecessorRed Hat Linux Advanced Server
Founded2003
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsLinux distribution (server and desktop editions)
OwnerRed Hat
Websitewww.redhat.com/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) represents a commercial Linux distribution created by Red Hat. It is offered in server editions compatible with x86-64, Power ISA, ARM64, and IBM Z architectures, alongside a desktop edition designed for x86-64 systems. Its upstream sources include Fedora Linux and CentOS Stream. Red Hat’s dedicated support, certification, and training services are exclusively centered on the RHEL platform.

The product initially debuted under the name "Red Hat Linux Advanced Server." In 2003, Red Hat rebranded this release as "Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS" and simultaneously launched two further versions: Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES and WS.

Built extensively upon open-source software with publicly accessible source code, RHEL forms the basis for multiple third-party derivatives such as the commercial Oracle Linux and community-driven projects like Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux. Up until June 2023, Red Hat distributed a portion of RHEL’s source code through modified build artifacts; presently, the complete source code for major version branches is obtainable via CentOS Stream repositories. Source code for other release branches remains accessible to subscribers as unaltered build artifacts.

Variants

A subscription for Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server is offered free of charge for development use. Developers are required to enroll in the Red Hat Developer Program and agree to its licensing terms. This complimentary developer subscription was introduced in March 2016 and revised in January 2021 to adopt more permissive conditions.

Additionally, "Academic" editions of both Desktop and Server versions are available at reduced prices aimed at educational institutions and students. These editions may include optional Red Hat technical assistance, with web support purchasable separately based on the number of customer contacts.

The labels ES, AS, and WS are widely interpreted as abbreviations for "Entry-level Server," "Advanced Server," and "Work Station," respectively, reflecting their market positioning; however, Red Hat has never officially confirmed these meanings.

With the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, the previous AS/ES/WS/Desktop lineup was replaced by new editions:

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced Platform (formerly AS)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (formerly ES), limited to two CPUs
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop with Workstation and Multi-OS options
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop with Workstation option (formerly WS)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop with Multi-OS option
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (formerly Desktop)

Red Hat also introduced a Global Desktop Linux edition aimed at emerging markets.

Earlier versions (RHEL 4, 3, and before) featured four variants:

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS for mission-critical enterprise environments
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES targeting supported network servers
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS designed for high-performance technical desktops
  • Red Hat Desktop intended for single-user enterprise desktop use

Relationship with Fedora Linux

According to the Fedora Project, Fedora is a free, community-driven distribution that functions as the upstream source for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Fedora facilitates swift innovation with new technologies, while RHEL operates as a commercial enterprise operating system featuring its own rigorous testing stages and a more conservative release schedule.

Initially, Red Hat marketed boxed copies of Red Hat Linux directly to consumers and businesses. The Fedora Project began in 2002 as community-supported packages for Red Hat Linux. Due to the disruptive nature of the six-month release cycle of Red Hat Linux, in 2002 Red Hat introduced RHEL with a subscription-based support model emphasizing slower update cycles. By 2003, Red Hat discontinued Red Hat Linux entirely, merging it with Fedora community packages and releasing Fedora as a free distribution.

Fedora serves as the primary upstream source for major RHEL releases: RHEL’s source code is forked from Fedora repositories and then subjected to extensive stabilization and quality assurance processes before being released. The CentOS project compiles the major stable release branch known as CentOS Stream, which acts as the upstream repository for minor RHEL versions receiving ongoing bug fixes and security patches.

For instance, CentOS Stream 9 was branched from Fedora in March 2021 (prior to Fedora 34’s release) and made publicly available by September 2021; RHEL 9.0 was subsequently released in May 2022.

The Fedora Project traces RHEL’s lineage from earlier Fedora and Red Hat Linux versions as follows:

  • From Red Hat Linux 6.2/7 to Red Hat Linux Enterprise Edition 6.2E
  • From Red Hat Linux 7.2, 7.2A to RHEL 2.1
  • From Red Hat Linux 9 to RHEL 3
  • From Fedora Core 3 to RHEL 4
  • From Fedora Core 6 to RHEL 5
  • From Fedora 12, 13 to RHEL 6
  • From Fedora 19, 20 to RHEL 7
  • From Fedora 28 to RHEL 8
  • From Fedora 34 to CentOS Stream 9 leading to RHEL 9
  • From Fedora 40 to CentOS Stream 10 leading to RHEL 10

Moreover, the Fedora project maintains Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL), a repository containing community-maintained packages compatible with RHEL. While EPEL broadens software options for enterprise users, issues arising from EPEL packages during RHEL’s ten-year lifecycle are not covered by Red Hat support.

Derivatives

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is developed using open source and freely available software components. Prior to 2015, Red Hat made the source code for its enterprise distribution accessible via FTP, although trademark policies restricted redistribution rights. From 2015 onward, the company began releasing de-branded source code on git.centos.org. Various organizations have since created their own RHEL derivatives by removing Red Hat branding and redirecting update channels to independent servers. Prominent examples of these derivatives include AlmaLinux, CentOS, Oracle Linux, Rocky Linux, among others, some tailored for specialized sectors like high-performance computing.

In 2023, Red Hat transitioned from hosting code on git.centos.org to the CentOS Stream git repositories. While open source licensing mandates that source code be available for branched distributions, Red Hat’s subscription agreements discourage sharing access with external parties, thereby limiting derivative projects’ ability to publish updates. This shift led AlmaLinux to move away from strict "1:1 bug for bug" replication toward maintaining application binary interface (ABI) compatibility instead. Concurrently, Oracle, SUSE, and CIQ (the organization behind Rocky Linux) collaborated to establish the Open Enterprise Linux Association (OpenELA), aiming to offer freely accessible Enterprise Linux source code.

Although RHEL derivatives are distributed without charge, they do not benefit from Red Hat’s commercial support services, certifications, or access to platforms such as Red Hat Network.

Red Hat took a distinctive approach with RHEL 6.0 by obscuring kernel modifications: instead of providing patch files within the source tarballs, only the fully assembled source code was released. This method was intended to restrict competitors like Oracle from easily rebuilding and offering support services while still adhering to the GNU GPL’s requirement for source availability. Brian Stevens, Red Hat’s CTO at the time, confirmed that detailed patch information would be reserved for paying customers as a competitive advantage. The CentOS development team accepted this limitation because they did not alter the kernel beyond what Red Hat provided.

In reaction to this practice, Oracle introduced the RedPatch initiative in 2012, which publicly shared comprehensive RHEL kernel patch details to promote transparency and foster competition.

Related products and add-ons

Several commercial vendors build their operating systems upon Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Noteworthy instances include the Console Operating System embedded in VMware ESX Server and Oracle Linux.

Version history and timeline

Source:

Naming convention

Each RHEL release is assigned a codename selected through developer voting without following a fixed naming scheme, unlike distributions such as Ubuntu or Debian.

RHEL 10

The beta version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 was launched in December 2024, with full general availability anticipated by mid-2025. It was officially unveiled at the Red Hat Summit and is built on Linux kernel version 6.12.0-55.9.1.el10_0.

RHEL 9

Introduced at the Red Hat Summit on May 10, 2022, and subsequently released on , RHEL 9 featured Linux kernel 5.14.0 alongside Gnome 40. This release represented a strategic change as it was the first RHEL version based on CentOS Stream, which itself derives from Fedora Linux, rather than being directly built on Fedora.

The initial beta release, codenamed Plow, debuted on November 3, 2021, based on Fedora Linux 34. The codename pays tribute to Tim Burke, a co-founder of RHEL and former engineering leader.

Significant releases in this series include:

  • 9.0 () – kernel 5.14.0-70.13.1.el9_0
  • 9.1 () – kernel 5.14.0-162.6.1.el9_1
  • 9.2 () – kernel 5.14.0-284.11.1.el9_2
  • 9.3 () – kernel 5.14.0-362.8.1.el9_3
  • 9.4 () – kernel 5.14.0-427.13.1.el9_4
  • 9.5 () – kernel 5.14.0-503.11.1.el9_5
  • 9.6 () – kernel 5.14.0-570.17.1.0.1.el9_6

RHEL 8

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, codenamed Ootpa, is derived from Fedora 28 and incorporates Linux kernel version 4.18, GCC 8.2, glibc 2.28, systemd version 239, GNOME 3.28, and the adoption of the Wayland display server. The initial beta was released on November 14, 2018, followed by the official launch on May 7, 2019.

IBM finalized the shift of POWER8 and POWER9 architectures to little-endian mode with RHEL 8, improving both hardware compatibility and system performance.

The codename Ootpa pays tribute to Larry Troan; his son Eric Troan, Red Hat’s first lead engineer known by the username ewt, inspired the name—pronounced as ewt's pa.

Significant RHEL 8 milestones include:

  • 8.0 (May 7, 2019) – Linux kernel version 4.18.0-80
  • 8.1 (Nov 5, 2019) – kernel updated to 4.18.0-147; GNOME advanced to version 3.32; introduced live kernel patching
  • 8.2 (Apr 28, 2020) – kernel version 4.18.0-193
  • 8.3 (Nov 3, 2020) – kernel updated to 4.18.0-240
  • 8.4 (May 18, 2021) – kernel version 4.18.0-305
  • 8.5 (Nov 9, 2021) – kernel updated to 4.18.0-348
  • 8.6 (May 10, 2022) – kernel version 4.18.0-372.9.1
  • 8.7 (Nov 9, 2022) – kernel updated to 4.18.0-425.3.1
  • 8.8 (May 16, 2023) – kernel version 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8
  • 8.9 (Nov 14, 2023) – kernel updated to 4.18.0-513.5.1.el8_9
  • 8.10 (May 22, 2024) – kernel version 4.18.0-553.el8_10

RHEL 7

Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 7, known as Maipo, is built upon Fedora versions 18 and 19 and includes Linux kernel version 3.10, systemd initially at version 208 (upgraded to version 219 in RHEL 7.2), and GNOME starting at version 3.8 (rebased to GNOME version 3.28 by RHEL release 7.6). The beta was announced December 11, 2013, with a release candidate following on April 15, 2014; the final release occurred on June 10, 2014.

Key updates within the RHEL7 series are:

  • RHEL 7.0 (Maipo) launched June 2014 with Linux kernel version 3.10.0-123
    • Version 7.1 (March 2015)
      • Kernel updated to version 3.10.0-229
    • Version 7.2 (November 2015)
      • Kernel upgraded to version 3.10.0-327
      • systemd advanced to version 219
      • Fedora base rebased to version 21
      • GNOME rebased to version 3.14
    • Version 7.3 (November 2016)
      • Kernel updated to 3.10.0-514
    • Version 7.4 (July 2017)
      • Kernel advanced to 3.10.0-693
      • Fedora rebased to version 25
      • GNOME rebased to version 3.22
    • Version 7.5 (April 2018)
      • Kernel upgraded to 3.10.0-862
      • Fedora rebased to version 27
      • GNOME rebased to version 3.26
    • Version 7.6 (October 2018)
      • Kernel updated to 3.10.0-957
      • Fedora rebased to version 28
      • GNOME rebased to version 3.28
    • Version 7.7 (August 2019)
      • Kernel advanced to 3.10.0-1062
      • GNOME remained at version 3.28
    • Version 7.8 (March 2020)
      • Kernel updated to 3.10.0-1127
    • Version 7.9 (September 2020)
      • Kernel upgraded to 3.10.0-1160

Extended Life-cycle Support (ELS) begins in July of 2024, extending maintenance through June of 2028 for users with ELS entitlement.

RHEL 6

Red Hat Enterprise Linux version six traces its roots back to Fedora Core 10, incorporating backported features from Fedora releases eleven and twelve.

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 (Santiago) operates on Linux kernel version 2.6.32-71
    • Update 6.1 — kernel version: 2.6.32-131.0.15
    • Update 6.2 — kernel version: 2.6.32-220
    • Update 6..3 — kernel version: 2..6..32-279
    • Update 6..4 — kernel version: 2..6..32-358
    • Update 6..5 — kernel version: 2..6..32-431
    • Update 6..6 — kernel version: 2..6..32-504
    • Update 6..7 — kernel version: 2..6..32-573
    • Update 6..8 — kernel version: 2..6..32-642
    • Update 6..9 — kernel version: 2..6..32-696
    • Update 6..10 — kernel version: 2..6..32-754

The Extended Life-cycle Support (ELS) program provides entitlement-based support beyond standard maintenance periods for this major release series until its designated end date.


RHEL 5

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 originated from Fedora Core 6.

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (Tikanga), , operates on Linux kernel version 2.6.18-8
    • 5.1, (kernel 2.6.18-53)
    • 5.2, (kernel 2.6.18-92)
    • 5.3, (kernel 2.6.18-128)
    • 5.4, (kernel 2.6.18-164)
    • 5.5, (kernel 2.6.18-194)
    • 5.6, (kernel 2.6.18-238)
    • 5.7, (kernel 2.6.18-274)
    • 5.8, (kernel 2.6.18-308)
    • 5.9, (kernel 2.6.18-348)
    • 5.10, (kernel 2.6.18-371)
    • 5.11, (kernel 2.6.18-398)
    • Start date for Extended Life-cycle Support (ELS+)
      • ELS entitlement valid until End Date

RHEL 4

The release of RHEL 4 marked the introduction of Linux kernel version 2.6 along with support for extended attributes on ext2 and ext3 file systems.

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 (Nahant), , utilizes Linux kernel version 2.6.9-5
    • Update 1, (kernel 2.6.9-11)
    • Update 2, (kernel 2.6.9-22)
    • Update 3, (kernel 2.6.9-34)
    • Update 4, (kernel 2.6.9-42)
    • Update 5, (kernel 2.6.9-55)
    • Update 6, (kernel 2.6.9-67)
    • Update 7, (kernel 2.6.9-78)
    • Update 8, (kernel 2.6.9-89)
    • Update 9, (kernel 2.6.9-100)

RHEL 3

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 (Taroon), , is based on Linux kernel version 2.4.21-4
    • Update 1, (kernel version 2.4.21-9)
    • Update 2, (kernel version 2.4.21-15)
    • Update 3, (kernel version 2.4.21-20)
    • Update 4, (kernel version 2.4.21-27)
    • Update 5, (kernel version 2.4.21-32)
    • Update 6, (kernel version 2.4.21-37)
    • Update 7, (kernel version 2.4.21-40)
    • Update 8, (kernel version 2.4.21-47)
    • Update 9, (kernel version 2.4.21-50)

RHEL 2.1

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS version Pensacola uses Linux kernel version 2.4.9-e3
    • Update versions:
      • Update 1: kernel version 2.4.9-e12
      • Update 2: kernel version 2.4.9-e24
      • Update 3: kernel version 2.4.9-e34
      • Update 4: kernel version 2.4.9-e40
      • Update 5: kernel version 2.4.9-e49
      • Update 6: kernel version 2..4..9-e57
      • Update 7
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES Panama, released May of 2003

Product life cycle

Each Red Hat Enterprise Linux edition is supported for a minimum of seven years for versions up to RHEL 4 and extends to at least ten years for versions from RHEL 5 onward through RHEL 9+. The support timeline is divided into distinct phases: the initial "Production Phase One" delivers comprehensive updates including software enhancements and hardware driver improvements; following phases ("Production Phase Two" and "Production Phase Three") restrict updates to security patches only and reduce hardware support scope.

Following the conclusion of standard support—which spans seven years for versions up to RHEL 4 and ten years for subsequent releases—critical maintenance updates are accessible through an extra subscription known as the "Extended Lifecycle Support Add-On." This add-on covers a limited set of packages and is available for versions ranging from RHEL 3 through RHEL 6 only.

Official upgrades between major versions are supported exclusively from RHEL 6 to RHEL 7 and from RHEL 7 to RHEL 8.

RHEL
version		 Final minor
release		 Initial release date End of Full Support End of Maintenance
Support Phase One (RHEL versions:5–7)		 End of
Maintenance Support Phase Two (RHEL versions:8–10),
or Maintenance Support Phase One (RHEL versions:5–7)
(product retirement)		 Conclusion of Extended
Lifecycle Support
Template:Version U..7 March..26..2002..(AS)
May..1..2003..(ES) 		November..30..2004 May..31..2005 May..31..2009 Template:N/A
Template:Version U..9 October..23..2003 July..20..2006 June..30..2007 October..31..2010 January..30..2014
Template:Version U..9 February..14..2005 March..31..2009 February..16..2011 February..29..2012 March..31..2017
Template:Version ..5...11 March..15..2007 January..8..2013 January..31..2014 March..31..2017 November..30..2020
Template:Version ..6...10 "November ..10 ..2010" "May ..10 ..2016" "May ..10 ..2017" "November ..30 ..2020" "June ..30 ..2024"
"Template:Version" "7...9" "June ..10 ..2014" "August ..06 ..2019" "August ..06 ..2020" "June ..30 ..2024" "June ..30 ..2028"
"Template:Version" "8...10" "May ..07 ..2019" "May ..2024" "Template:N/A" "May ..2029" "May ..31 ..2031"
"Template:Version" "9...6" "November ..08 ..2022" "May ..2027" "Template:N/A" "May ..2032" "May ..31 ..2034"
"Template:Version" "10...0" "May ..13 ..2025" "May ..2030" "Template:N/A" "May ..2035" "May ..31 ..2037"
Template:Version"


Kernel feature backporting

To preserve a consistent application binary interface (ABI), Red Hat opts not to upgrade the kernel version number directly but instead backports enhancements into the kernel version tied to a particular RHEL release. Throughout the Production 1 phase of the RHEL lifecycle, new functionalities are integrated via backporting. As a result, RHEL may operate with an older Linux kernel version number while still incorporating up-to-date security patches and selected features. For instance, the socket capability introduced in Linux kernel 3.9 was retrofitted into RHEL 6.5, which utilizes kernel version 2.6.32.

Extended Update Support (EUS) / Z Tree

Extended Update Support (EUS) provides organizations with the ability to manage the timing of their upgrades to newer minor RHEL versions. During the initial six months of an EUS channel, feature additions are permitted; following that period, updates are limited to bug fixes and security patches. Organizations have a 24-month timeframe to migrate to a subsequent EUS branch. This approach benefits third-party software validated against specific minor releases, including Oracle Database, IBM Db2, IBM Cloud Orchestrator, and Hortonworks. Depending on the contractual terms with Red Hat, additional fees may apply. For comprehensive information on what EUS covers and excludes, refer to Red Hat’s official documentation.

Note

  • The EUS update process for older minor branches is not available for CentOS, Oracle Linux, or Scientific Linux because Red Hat does not release source packages necessary for rebuilding. These projects recommend using the latest minor release within the supported major version.

Updates

Upgrades typically proceed from one z stream to the subsequent one:

  • The 7.4.z EUS channel following the 7.4 release.
  • The 7.5.z EUS channel after the 7.5 release.
  • Any 7.y.z EUS channel where y is greater than 1.

The default base channel for RHEL 7 aligns with the most recent minor release (rhel 7Y with the highest y).

Downgrading (such as moving from 7.5.z back to 7.4.z) is not supported.

RHEL 6

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 (Santiago) was introduced on 10 November 2010, built upon Fedora 12 with backported elements from Fedora 13 and 14, employing Linux kernel version 2.6.32-71.

  • Update 7 (6.7), released on 22 July 2015 (kernel 2.6.32-573)
    • EUS period: 22 July 2015 – 31 July 2017

No further EUS updates were issued for RHEL 6 after version 6.7.

RHEL 7

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (Maipo), launched on 10 June 2014, is based on Fedora 19 and includes Linux kernel version 3.10.0-123.

  • Update 1 (7.1), released on 5 March 2015 (kernel 3.10.0-229)
    • EUS period: 5 March 2015 – 31 March 2017
  • Update 2 (7.2), released on 19 November 2015 (kernel 3.10.0-327)
    • EUS period: 19 November 2015 – 30 November 2017
  • Update 3 (7.3), released on 3 November 2016 (kernel 3.10.0-514)
    • EUS period: 3 November 2016 – 30 November 2018
    • Feature enhancements may occur during this timeframe
  • Update 4 (7.4), released on 1 August 2017 (kernel 3.10.0-693)
    • EUS period: August 2017 – August 2019
  • Update 5 (7.5), released April 2018 (kernel 3.10.0-862)
    • EUS period: April 2018 – April 2020
  • Update 6 (7.6), released October 2018 (kernel 3.10.0-957)
    • EUS period: October 2018 – May 2021
  • Update 7 (7.7), released August 2019 (kernel 3.10.0-1062)
    • EUS period: August 2019 – August 2021
  • Update 8 (7.8), released March 2020
  • Update 9 (7.9), the final release of RHEL 7, September 2020

RHEL 8

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (Ootpa) is derived from Fedora 28, utilizing Linux kernel version 4.18, systemd 239, and GNOME 3.28. The initial beta version was made available on November 14, 2018, with the official release following on May 7, 2019.

RHEL 8 adheres to a structured six-month minor update schedule, frequently incorporating extended support and maintenance specifically for SAP Solutions:

  • 8.0 - Released May 7, 2019 (kernel 4.18.0-80)
  • 8.1 - Released November 5, 2019 (kernel 4.18.0-147), featuring extended SAP support
  • 8.2 - Released April 28, 2020 (kernel 4.18.0-193), with extended SAP support
  • 8.3 - Released November 3, 2020 (kernel 4.18.0-240)
  • 8.4 - Released May 18, 2021 (kernel 4.18.0-305), including extended SAP support
  • 8.5 - Released November 9, 2021 (kernel 4.18.0-348)
  • 8.6 - Released May 10, 2022 (kernel 4.18.0-372.9.1), with extended SAP support
  • 8.7 - Released November 9, 2022 (kernel 4.18.0-425.3.1)
  • 8.8 - Released May 16, 2023 (kernel 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8), featuring extended SAP support

This predictable release rhythm assists enterprise clients by delivering timely updates that align with critical business applications and regulatory compliance demands.

RHEL 8 application streams

In addition to routine operating system updates, RHEL 8 introduces application streams that allow specific software packages to be updated separately from the core OS, synchronized with the vendor’s maintenance timetable. Each application stream is supported for a period ranging from two to five years, with new releases occurring solely during RHEL’s Full Support Phase. These streams generally experience more frequent updates and have shorter lifespans compared to the base system packages.

The currently available application streams include:

  • authd version 1.4.4 (supported until May 2021)
  • container-tools version 1 (supported until May 2021)
  • dotnet version 2.1 (supported until August 2021)
  • git version 2.18 (supported until May 2021)
  • httpd version 2.4 (supported until May 2024)
  • Identity Management DL1 (supported until May 2024)
  • mariadb version 10.3 (supported until May 2023)
  • maven version 3.5 (supported until May 2022)
  • mercurial version 4.8 (supported until May 2022)
  • mysql version 8 (supported until April 2023)
  • nginx version 1.14 (supported until May 2021)
  • nodejs version 10 (supported until April 2021)
  • openjdk version 1.8.0 (supported until June 2023)
  • openjdk version 11 (supported until October 2024)
  • perl version 5.24 (supported until May 2021)
  • php version 7.2 (supported until May 2021)
  • postgresql version10 (supported until May 2024)
  • postgresql version9.6 (supported until November 2021)
  • python version2.7 (supported until June 2024)
  • redis version5 (supported until May 2022)
  • ruby version2.5 (supported until February 2021)
  • scala version2.1 (supported until May 2022)
  • swig version3 (supported until May 2022)
  • varnish version6 (supported until May 2022)

RHEL 9

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (RHEL 9), launched in May 2022, represents Red Hat’s most recent commercial open-source operating system aimed at enterprise deployments and built upon Fedora Linux foundations. It prioritizes stability, security enhancements, and improved performance tailored for cloud-native development and hybrid cloud infrastructures.

Key features

  1. Kernel and Performance – Utilizing Linux kernel version 5.14, RHEL 9 enhances hardware compatibility and offers advanced performance tuning utilities designed to optimize workload handling on contemporary hardware platforms.
  2. Security Enhancements – Features include the integration of Integrity Measurement Architecture (IMA), adoption of OpenSSL 3.0 for modern cryptographic standards, and default disabling of SSH root password login to encourage key-based authentication methods; SELinux continues to enforce robust security policies.
  3. Automation and Management – Strengthened Ansible integration simplifies automation workflows and configuration management; the Cockpit web-based console has been expanded with additional tools for managing containers, network settings, and storage resources.
  4. Cloud and Container Support – Engineered for cloud-native environments, RHEL 9 supports containerization through Podman and offers seamless compatibility with Red Hat OpenShift Kubernetes platform; AppStreams deliver curated developer packages featuring current runtimes and frameworks.
  5. Networking and Storage – Incorporates enhanced NetworkManager capabilities alongside NVMe over Fabrics support to improve scalability and performance within modern networking and storage infrastructures.

Application scenarios

RHEL 9 is designed to support a wide range of enterprise workloads across industries such as finance, healthcare, and public sector. It performs reliably in environments including on-premises data centers, multi-cloud setups, and hybrid cloud architectures.

Support timeline

The product provides a decade-long support period, featuring an initial five years of comprehensive support followed by five additional years focused on maintenance updates.

See also

Further reading

External links

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