Oracle Linux
ZCP offers a maintained Oracle Linux image in every region. Oracle Linux is an enterprise-grade Linux that is binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and ships with a choice of the Red Hat Compatible Kernel or Oracle’s Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK). The image itself is free to download and use. No activation is required.
For how all ZCP images behave on first boot, see Operating System Images.
Available versions
Section titled “Available versions”Oracle Linux follows Oracle’s Lifetime Support Policy: about 10 years of Premier Support per major release, with Extended Support and then indefinite Sustaining Support beyond it.
| Version | Status | End of Premier Support |
|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 9 | ✅ Available | 2032 (Extended/Sustaining beyond) |
Support dates are set by Oracle. Confirm in the Oracle Lifetime Support Policy.
Use cases
Section titled “Use cases”Oracle Linux is a free, RHEL-compatible distribution from Oracle, with an optional high-performance Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK) and built-in Ksplice zero-downtime patching:
- Oracle Database and middleware: the native, fully supported OS for Oracle Database, WebLogic, and the Oracle E-Business Suite.
- RHEL-compatible enterprise servers: run RHEL-family software unchanged, choosing the Red Hat Compatible Kernel or UEK for newer kernel features and performance.
- Zero-downtime patching: Ksplice applies kernel and critical userspace updates without rebooting, ideal for high-availability services.
- Web and database hosting: Nginx, Apache, MySQL (Oracle’s own), PostgreSQL, and MariaDB on a long-lived base.
- Containers and cloud-native: Podman, Docker, and Kubernetes (including Oracle’s container services) on a supported host OS.
- Migrations: a straightforward target for moving off CentOS or other RHEL-family distributions,
with Oracle’s free
centos2olconversion script. - Enterprise and regulated workloads: predictable lifecycle plus CIS/STIG hardening for compliance-sensitive environments.
Default login
Section titled “Default login”The default user is cloud-user, with sudo for administration. Sign in over
SSH with the key you attached at create time, or with the
portal-generated password. Confirm the exact user shown for the image in the portal.
ssh cloud-user@<your-instance-ip>Deploy an Oracle Linux instance
Section titled “Deploy an Oracle Linux instance”- Go to Compute → Create Instance (see Create Instance).
- Choose the Oracle Linux image.
- Pick a region and a plan, and attach an SSH key.
- Attach to a network and create the instance.
Recommended first steps
Section titled “Recommended first steps”- Update packages:
sudo dnf upgrade -y. - Confirm SSH key access, then lock down access with a firewall rule.
Oracle Linux documentation
Section titled “Oracle Linux documentation”Good to know
Section titled “Good to know”- Snapshots and backups work with the guest agent installed. See VM Snapshots and Backups.
- Other RHEL-compatible options: Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux.