Oracle Linux 9 Update 3 is now generally available, as expected!
November 15, 2023 | 4 minute readOracle is pleased to announce Oracle Linux 9 Update 3, the latest version of the premier enterprise operating system for distributed computing environments. Oracle Linux 9 Update 3 delivers on Oracle's commitment to open source and keeping Linux free and open while providing binary compatibility to help ensure applications run without disruption. Oracle Linux sources, binaries, ISOs, and errata remain unrestricted and freely available from the Oracle Linux yum server.
Oracle Linux 9 Update 3 for the 64-bit Intel and AMD (x86_64) and 64-bit Arm (aarch64) platforms is now generally available. This release continues to be application binary compatible with the corresponding Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Update 3 release, as has been the case since the first release in 2006. Oracle Linux 9 Update 3 ships with the newest Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 7 Update 2 (UEK R7U2) and Red Hat Compatible Kernel (RHCK) packages.
Oracle Linux 9 Update 3 is packaged with the following kernel options:
- Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK) Release 7 Update 2, 5.15.0-200.131.27 for both x86_64 and aarch64 platforms
- Red Hat Compatible Kernel (RHCK), 5.14.0-364 for x86_64 platform
What's New
Operating system and software management
Oracle Linux now supports automatic reboot of systems after patches are installed through DNF. With enhanced DNF, automatic reboot with different options (never, when-changed, when-needed) can speed-up patch management operations.
The enhanced DNF utility introduced two new options:
- dnf leaves – To list the installed packages that aren't required by any other installed packages.
- dnf show-leaves – To list newly installed leaf packages and packages that have become leaves after a transaction.
These options allow the identification of packages that may not be required, or that are no longer required on the system after a specific update. With these command options, users are able to identify packages that can be removed from the system in order to:
- reduce the attack surface on the system
- cut down the number of packages to be maintained on a system
Security
OpenSSH explicitly enforces the SHA-2 algorithm by default for key testing, and SHA-1 is unavailable on the client side for systems running Oracle Linux 9 Update 3; this enhancement avoids the use of the weaknesses in the SHA-1 algorithm.
New SELinux boolean (virt_qemu_ga_run_unconfined) has been added; as a result, you can now execute confined commands through the QEMU Guest Agent on the hypervisor host without AVC denials by enabling the virt_qemu_ga_run_unconfined boolean.
Among other enhancements, the updated version of the SCAP Security Guide (0.1.69) introduces three new SCAP profiles for Oracle Linux 9. These profiles are aligned with the CCN-STIC-610A22 Guide that was issued in October 2022 by the National Cryptologic Center of Spain.
Filesystem and storage
Oracle Linux 9 Update 3 with UEK R7U2 continues to maintain and grant support for the btrfs file system, for access to one of the most modern copy on write (COW) file systems for Linux. This release includes the updated "nvme-cli" release 2.4. For details on the new features, enhancements, and changes, refer to the Oracle Linux 9 Update 3 Release Notes.
Compilers and Development tools
The following features, enhancements, and changes related to compilers and development tools have been introduced in Oracle Linux 9 Update 3:
- glibc has been tuned to enhance performance for Intel Xeon V5 Hardware
- GCC Toolset 13 is now available as an Application Stream, part of Software Collections (scl binary) for Oracle Linux 9. The following tools and versions are available in this GCC Toolset release:
- GCC 13.1.1
- GDB 12.1
- binutils 2.40
- dwz 0.14
- annobin 12.20
- Performance Co-Pilot has been updated to version 6.0.5 and introduces new metrics for NUMA systems and extended metrics for NVMe.
Upgrading to the latest Oracle Linux releases
You can upgrade an Oracle Linux 7 system to Oracle Linux 8 as well as upgrade an Oracle Linux 8 system to the latest Oracle Linux 9 release by using the leapp utility. For step-by-step instructions and information about any known issues that you might encounter when upgrading your system, review the following documentation for Oracle Linux 8 and Oracle Linux 9.
Download and try it now!
- ISO installation images are available from the Oracle Linux yum server and Oracle Software Delivery Cloud
- Individual RPM packages via the Unbreakable Linux Network (ULN) and the Oracle Linux yum server
- Container images via Oracle Container Registry, GitHub Container Registry and Docker Hub
- Additional software downloads for Oracle Linux
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Simon Coter
Director, Oracle Linux and Virtualization Product Management
A 19-year Oracle veteran, Simon Coter is an experienced product manager and open source community member. He leads a team responsible for several Oracle Linux and Virtualization offerings, including Oracle Linux, the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel for Oracle Linux, Oracle Cloud Native Environment, Oracle Linux KVM, Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager, Oracle Linux Automation Manager, Gluster, Oracle VM, and VirtualBox. Prior to this, Simon was a technical consultant focused on project management, architectures definition, sizing and implementation, best practices, and technical references for customers.