OracleLinux 9 is the new version of the technological giant’s operating system and one of the oldest and most widespread derivatives of Red Hat Linux Enterprise (RHEL), so it is not surprising that the other does not come after it, although the most recent changes have altered significantly a panorama that had barely moved for many years.
Thus, after the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, CentOS 9 did not arrive, as usual, since the distribution, as such, no longer exists; but AlmaLinux 9 did, positioned almost from the beginning as the new star derivative of RHEL, even though Rocky Linux is yet to appear.
The one that is already here, however, is Oracle Linux 9, one that has not missed its appointment for fifteen years, which is said soon. And it has always done it quite reliably: like a binary level clone of RHEL, with guaranteed compatibility with its packages, but with its own spices, read the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel, its most distinctive hallmark.
Other characteristics of the distribution that are also worth noting for the launch of Oracle Linux 9, apart from its custom kernel, is that it is a system totally free and without installation limitations: Oracle only charges you if you want support. Otherwise, you can use the system for whatever you want.
Regarding the news of Oracle Linux 9, they could be summed up as “everything that RHEL 9 brought plus the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel”, but it would be missing the truth. Unlike derivatives that are much closer to the original flavor such as AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux, Oracle, without breaking compatibility, messes with the system in several sections.
For example, Oracle Linux 9 the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel, UEK R7, based on Linux 5.15 LTS, instead of Linux 5.14, which was the one introduced by RHEL9; includes file system support improvements such as Btrfs, which is still available from the same installation for those who want to use it; and better integration with VirtualBox, specifically adding support for VirtualBox shared folders.
Regular, potential and curious users will find the Oracle Linux 9 download ready for deployment, in DVD and boot image formats for x86_64 (x86_64) and ARM (aarch64) architectures.
