OpenELA Releases Enterprise Linux Source Code
With Red Hat restricting the source for RHEL, it was only a matter of time before those who depended on that source struck out on their own.
OpenELA was formed by CIQ (the company behind Rocky Linux), Oracle, and SUSE with a singular purpose, "...the development of distributions compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) by providing open and free enterprise Linux source code."
That time has arrived and the initial release of the OpenELA source code is now available.
But why is this happening? According to CIQ, "The decision to establish OpenELA wasn't made in isolation. It was a direct answer to the challenges posed by Red Hat's recent policy shifts. At CIQ, we've always believed in the power of collaboration and open access."
The site continues, "By teaming up with Oracle and SUSE, we’ll be able to provide the community with the tools, resources, and most importantly, the source code they need through OpenELA. With OpenELA, both upstream and downstream communities can fully leverage the potential of open source, from independent upstream projects through the delivery of compatible and standards-based Enterprise Linux derivatives."
The code (found on the OpenELA GitHub page linked above) contains all of the basic packages for building an Enterprise Linux OS. Keep in mind, however, that the code is still very much a work in progress and some of the code has yet to be made public (due to the OpenELA continued removal of all Red Hat branding/trademarks).
At the moment, both Oracle and SUSE are planning on releasing their enterprise distributions based on OpenELA and the Rocky Linux Software Foundation is considering the same.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.