# Rocky Linux

ZCP offers a maintained Rocky Linux image in every region. Rocky Linux is a community, enterprise-grade Linux that is binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). It is a drop-in choice for RHEL-targeted workloads. It is free and open-source. No license or activation is required.

For how all ZCP images behave on first boot, see [Operating System Images](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/operating-systems/).

## Available versions

Rocky Linux follows the RHEL release cadence and lifecycle. Each major release gets roughly 10 years of support.

| Version | Status | End of life |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rocky Linux 9 | ✅ Available | 2032-05-31 |

End-of-life dates are set by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation. Confirm on the [Rocky Linux version guide](https://wiki.rockylinux.org/rocky/version/).

## Use cases

Rocky Linux is the community successor to CentOS and a free, bug-for-bug RHEL-compatible base, ideal when you want enterprise Linux without subscription costs:

- RHEL-compatible production servers: run RHEL-targeted software unchanged, with the same packages, SELinux policies, and `dnf`/`yum` tooling.
- CentOS migration target: a drop-in replacement for end-of-life CentOS 7/8 deployments.
- Enterprise application hosting: SAP, Oracle Database, JBoss/WildFly, and other certified enterprise workloads that expect a RHEL-family OS.
- Web and database servers: Nginx, Apache, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and MySQL on a long-lived, stable base.
- Containers and virtualization: Podman, Docker, and Kubernetes nodes. KVM hosts use the RHEL-family virtualization stack.
- HPC and scientific computing: a common, reproducible base for compute clusters and research pipelines.
- Compliance-sensitive workloads: predictable 10-year lifecycle and CIS/STIG hardening guidance for regulated environments.

## Default login

The default user is `rocky`, with `sudo` for administration. Sign in over [SSH](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/connect-ssh/) with the key you attached at create time, or with the portal-generated password.

```bash
ssh rocky@<your-instance-ip>
```

## Deploy a Rocky Linux instance

1. Go to Compute → Create Instance (see [Create Instance](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/create-instance/)).
2. Choose the Rocky Linux image.
3. Pick a region and a [plan](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/instance-types/), and attach an SSH key.
4. Attach to a network and create the instance.

## Recommended first steps

- Update packages: `sudo dnf upgrade -y`.
- Confirm SSH key access, then lock down access with a [firewall rule](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/settings/firewall/).

## Rocky Linux documentation

- [Rocky Linux documentation](https://docs.rockylinux.org/)

## Good to know

- Snapshots and backups work with the guest agent installed. See [VM Snapshots](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/backups-snapshots/vm-snapshots/) and [Backups](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/backups-snapshots/backups/).
- Other RHEL-compatible options: [AlmaLinux](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/operating-systems/alma-linux/) and [Oracle Linux](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/operating-systems/oracle-linux/).