Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 - Features and Release Timeline

Red Hat has announced the upcoming release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10, marking a significant milestone in enterprise operating systems. Building upon its legacy of stability and innovation, RHEL 10 aims to provide a modern Linux experience tailored for both traditional and emerging workloads.

Introducing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10: Features and Release Timeline

Release Timeline

The RHEL 10 Beta was made available on December 11, 2024, inviting users to test and explore the new features. The general availability of RHEL 10 is scheduled for mid-2025, adhering to Red Hat’s commitment to a predictable release cadence of a new major version every three years. (redhat.com)

Key Features

Kernel and Component Updates

RHEL 10 is built upon Kernel 6.11.0, bringing enhancements in performance, security, and hardware support. Key components have been updated, including:

OpenSSH: Enhanced security features and updated protocols.
SELinux: Improved policy management and performance.
Podman 5.0: Advanced container management capabilities.

Developers will benefit from updated tools and languages, such as GCC, Java, Rust, and Go, facilitating modern application development. (redhat.com)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Lightspeed

A standout feature in RHEL 10 is the introduction of Red Hat Enterprise Linux Lightspeed, a generative AI tool designed to assist users in building, deploying, and managing RHEL environments efficiently. Lightspeed offers:

Expert Recommendations: Guidance on system tuning and troubleshooting.
Proactive Lifecycle and Security Insights: Timely information to plan and protect IT infrastructure.
Personalized Documentation: Tailored release notes and package suggestions.
Simplified Commands: Translation of complex commands into plain language, lowering the learning curve for new users.

This integration aims to enhance user experience by providing intelligent assistance directly within the operating system. (redhat.com)

Insights Image Builder Integration

For the first time, the RHEL 10 Beta is accessible through the Insights Image Builder, a service that allows users to create customized, up-to-date golden images. Features include:

Partitioning Customizations: Tailor disk layouts to specific needs.
External Repository Integration: Include packages from various sources.
First Boot Scripts: Automate configurations upon initial startup.

This tool simplifies the deployment of RHEL across diverse environments, ensuring consistency and compliance with organizational standards. (redhat.com)

Enhanced Image Mode

RHEL 10 introduces improvements to Image Mode, facilitating:

Seamless Integration: Easier incorporation into CI/CD and GitOps workflows.
Security Enhancements: Improved application of container security tools, including scanning, validation, and cryptography.

These enhancements aim to streamline operations for DevOps and security teams, promoting efficient and secure deployment practices. (redhat.com)

Key Features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is one of the most widely used enterprise-grade Linux distributions, known for its stability, security, and performance. It is the foundation for many critical IT infrastructures, from data centers to cloud computing and edge environments. This blog post explores the key features that make RHEL a top choice for enterprises worldwide.

Enterprise-Grade Stability and Long-Term Support

RHEL follows a predictable release cycle with long-term support (LTS), ensuring stability for mission-critical workloads. Each major version of RHEL typically offers 10 years of support—5 years of full support and 5 years of maintenance support. Additionally, Red Hat provides Extended Lifecycle Support (ELS) for organizations needing an even longer lifespan for their infrastructure.

Key Benefits:

Predictable release cycle with major updates every three years.
Extended support options for legacy systems.
Security patches and software updates without breaking existing workloads.

Enhanced Security and Compliance

Security is a top priority in RHEL, with a range of built-in features designed to protect systems from vulnerabilities and cyber threats.

Security Features:

SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux): Enforces mandatory access control policies to limit system vulnerabilities.
System-wide Cryptographic Policies: Standardizes encryption algorithms and security settings across the system.
Live Kernel Patching: Allows administrators to apply critical security patches to the Linux kernel without requiring a system reboot.
Secure Boot and TPM Support: Ensures that only trusted code runs during system startup.
FIPS 140-2 & Common Criteria Certifications: Compliance with industry security standards.

Containerization and Cloud-Native Capabilities

RHEL is optimized for modern application deployment using containerization technologies. Red Hat provides a robust container runtime and orchestration tools to manage cloud-native workloads efficiently.

Key Features:

Podman: A daemonless container runtime that serves as an alternative to Docker.
Buildah & Skopeo: Tools for building and managing container images.
CRI-O Support: Lightweight runtime for Kubernetes deployments.
OpenShift Integration: Seamless compatibility with Red Hat OpenShift, a Kubernetes-based container platform.

Performance Optimization and Scalability

RHEL is designed to maximize system performance for various workloads, from small business applications to large-scale cloud computing.

Performance Enhancements:

Tuned Profiles: Optimizes CPU, memory, and I/O settings based on workload type.
NUMA (Non-Uniform Memory Access) Support: Improves performance on multi-processor architectures.
Real-Time Kernel Options: Enhances performance for time-sensitive applications, such as telecommunications and financial trading systems.
Optimized Filesystems: Support for XFS, ext4, and Btrfs ensures efficient storage management.

Automation and System Management

Red Hat provides powerful tools for managing and automating infrastructure at scale.

Management Tools:

Red Hat Insights: AI-powered predictive analytics for proactive issue resolution.
Ansible Automation Platform: Automates system administration tasks such as provisioning, configuration management, and application deployment.
Cockpit Web Console: A user-friendly web interface for system monitoring and management.
Red Hat Satellite: Streamlines patch management, software distribution, and system lifecycle management.

Networking and High Availability

RHEL supports advanced networking features for enterprise deployments.

Networking Capabilities:

NetworkManager: Simplifies network configuration and management.
IPv6 and VPN Support: Ensures compatibility with modern networking requirements.
Bonding and Teaming: Provides failover and load balancing for network interfaces.
High Availability Add-on: Enables clustering and failover capabilities to minimize downtime.

Virtualization and Cloud Integration

RHEL offers comprehensive virtualization support, making it a preferred choice for cloud computing environments.

Virtualization Features:

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine): A high-performance virtualization solution built into the Linux kernel.
Libvirt & Virt-Manager: Provides tools for managing virtual machines.
Cloud-Optimized Images: Pre-configured RHEL images for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
Integration with OpenStack: Seamless deployment in private and hybrid cloud environments.

Conclusion

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 represents a significant advancement in enterprise Linux platforms, offering a blend of stability, innovation, and user-centric features. Organizations are encouraged to participate in the beta testing phase to familiarize themselves with the new capabilities and prepare for the general release in mid-2025.

For more detailed information and to access the beta, visit the official Red Hat announcement. (redhat.com)

September 1, 2024 by blog.released.info