What's installed on your AlmaLinux server?
- The release you pick: AlmaLinux 10, 9 or 8, from the project's official GenericCloud image
- dnf and RPM packages compatible with RHEL
- SELinux in enforcing mode
- firewalld isn't in the image: use the panel's Firewall Rules tool or add it with dnf
- OpenSSH on: root logs in with the password, and you add SSH keys from your panel
- cloud-init, which sets the IP and password and grows the disk, plus the QEMU guest agent
- No web server, database or panel: install them with dnf, where the Apache package is called httpd
What size do you need for AlmaLinux?
AlmaLinux's installation guide lists at least 1.5 GB of RAM and 10 GB of disk, with 20 GB recommended. Those figures are for the installer. We use a ready-made image, and in our tests the server also started on 1 GB of RAM. A clean system took about 1.3 GB of disk on 10 and 9, and about 3.2 GB on 8. As a rule of thumb, start with 1 GB for a small service, 4 GB for a website with a database or a panel, and 8 GB for heavier work. If the panel you plan to install has its own requirements, go by those.
| Use | Size | Price | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1 GB RAM · 1 vCore · 25 GB NVMe | $2.58/mo | |
| Medium | 4 GB RAM · 2 vCore · 60 GB NVMe | $6.89/mo | |
| Powerful | 8 GB RAM · 4 vCore · 120 GB NVMe | $13.62/mo |
Who is it for?
- Anyone running software built for RHEL
- People replacing a CentOS Linux 7 or 8 server
- Anyone planning to use a panel that supports the RHEL family, such as cPanel or DirectAdmin
- Teams that want to stay on one major release for years: AlmaLinux 10 gets security updates until May 2035
What happens after you order?
- Pick the release, set the size and complete your payment.
- Your server starts. The Overview tab shows the IP Address, Username and Password rows, and you connect with ssh root@your-ip in a terminal.
- Packages can take a while to install at first boot. If dnf reports it's busy, run cloud-init status --wait until it finishes.
- Update the system with dnf upgrade --refresh. If the kernel was updated, restart the server.
- For automatic security updates, install dnf-automatic, set upgrade_type to security in its config and turn on the timer.
With every server
- Daily backups included in the price
- Unlimited traffic
- Full root access
- Scale RAM and CPU up or down later, and grow the disk
- Location: Istanbul · IST-1.
Good to know
- AlmaLinux 10 has active support until May 2030 and security updates until May 2035. For 9, those dates are May 2027 and May 2032. Active support for 8 has ended, and its security updates run until May 2029.
- SELinux is on. If your web server can't write to an unusual folder, the fix is usually to set the right label, not to turn SELinux off.
- AlmaLinux isn't an exact copy of RHEL. Since 2023 it has aimed to run software built for RHEL, and it can take some bug fixes ahead of Red Hat.
- Switching releases from the panel is a reinstall and deletes all your data. To upgrade with your data in place, AlmaLinux has the ELevate tool, which moves one major release at a time.
- Updates and security settings are your responsibility. A clean system has no fail2ban, so adding an SSH key is a good first step.
AlmaLinux questions and answers
What's the difference between AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux?
Both are free, compatible with RHEL and on the same support calendar. AlmaLinux is run by a community-elected board and aims for application compatibility, while Rocky Linux aims for bug-for-bug compatibility. For major upgrades AlmaLinux has the ELevate tool, while the Rocky team recommends a fresh install.
Which AlmaLinux version should I choose?
For a new server, choose 10 or 9. If your software or panel only supports 9 or 8, follow that. Active support for 8 has ended, and it gets security updates only until May 2029.
How much RAM does AlmaLinux need?
The installation guide lists at least 1.5 GB of RAM. That figure is for the installer, and our ready-made image also started on 1 GB in our tests. As a rule of thumb, start with 1 GB for a small service and 4 GB for a website with a database or a panel.
Can I move my CentOS 7 server to AlmaLinux?
Yes, in two ways. AlmaLinux's ELevate tool upgrades in place, one release at a time. The cleaner route is to open a new server and move your data across. Before you move, check that your application supports AlmaLinux.
Does AlmaLinux cost anything?
No. AlmaLinux is free, open source and needs no license key, so you pay only for the server. If you install a panel or other software with its own license, that's separate.
Should I turn off SELinux?
Usually not. SELinux stops a program from writing where it isn't allowed to. If you hit an error, read the log first and set the right label. Turning it off hides the problem and leaves your server less protected.