Microsoft's new Azure Linux 4.0 is here, and it could replace Windows Server
4 hours ago
- #Enterprise Linux
- #Azure Linux
- #Microsoft Azure
- Microsoft has released Azure Linux 4.0, which is now available for installation on bare-metal servers and virtual machines (VMs) beyond just the Azure cloud.
- Azure Linux 4.0 is based on Fedora Linux, uses RPM packages, and is hardened with Linux kernel 6.18, SELinux security, and tuning for Hyper-V and Azure performance, though it lacks a GUI.
- While the distribution can be run anywhere, official support and SLAs are only provided for Azure cloud usage, with on-premises or other cloud deployments being community-supported.
- Microsoft positions Azure Linux as both a conventional server OS and part of its managed Azure infrastructure, offering integration with Azure security features like confidential computing and Defender for Cloud.
- The GitHub repository for Azure Linux is open for contributions, but Microsoft maintains tight control over the base image, following a curated model similar to other enterprise Linux vendors.
- Microsoft aims for Azure Linux to become a single Linux operating system across hybrid environments, potentially phasing out Windows Server as Linux has become Azure's most popular server OS.