Rocky Linux Version History

3 active, 0 end-of-life. 3 versions tracked.

Rocky Linux follows Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) releases, typically shipping within weeks of each RHEL release. It was created as a community replacement for CentOS after Red Hat shifted CentOS to a rolling-release model (CentOS Stream).

Recommendation

For new deployments, use Rocky Linux 9. It's binary-compatible with RHEL 9 and will be supported until May 2032.

Version Released End of Life Latest Patch Status
Rocky Linux 10 June 11, 2025 May 31, 2035 10.1 Active
Rocky Linux 9 July 14, 2022 May 31, 2032 9.7 Active
Rocky Linux 8 May 1, 2021 May 31, 2029 8.10 Security Only
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Rocky Linux Support Policy

Rocky Linux follows RHEL's 10-year lifecycle: 5 years of Full Support (bug fixes, features) followed by 5 years of Maintenance Support (critical security patches only). Minor releases within a major version ship roughly every 6 months.

What You Need to Know

Rocky Linux 8 enters Maintenance Support in May 2024 and reaches EOL in May 2029.

Rocky Linux 9 is the current recommended version, with Full Support until May 2027 and Maintenance until May 2032.

Rocky Linux is binary-compatible with RHEL, meaning packages built for RHEL work on Rocky without recompilation.

If you're migrating from CentOS 7 (EOL June 2024), use the ELevate tool to upgrade directly to Rocky 8 or 9.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rocky Linux a good replacement for CentOS?
Yes, that's exactly what it was built for. Rocky Linux is binary-compatible with RHEL and follows the same 10-year support lifecycle. It's the closest thing to what CentOS used to be before the CentOS Stream shift.
How long is each Rocky Linux version supported?
10 years, matching RHEL. The first 5 years are Full Support with regular updates. The final 5 years are Maintenance Support with only critical security patches.
How do I migrate from CentOS to Rocky Linux?
Use the migrate2rocky script for CentOS 8 to Rocky 8 migration (straightforward, same-version swap). For CentOS 7 to Rocky 8 or 9, use the ELevate project from AlmaLinux, which handles cross-major-version upgrades.

Related Tools

Vulnerability Scanner
EOL Timeline Visualizer
CVE Dashboard

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