openSUSE has unveiled Leap Micro 6.0, a rebrand of SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 6.0, the latest iteration of its highly reliable and immutable container and virtual machine host designed specifically for edge computing applications.
The distro is available in two primary variants: Base and Default. Both include a container stack, but the Default one offers a Virtual Machine stack for those requiring VM capabilities.
At the same time, the Base variant, lighter on space requirements, caters to users who do not need VM support. By default, the images provided at the official distribution site feature the Default variant, expected to meet the needs of the majority.
openSUSE Leap Micro 6.0 Highlights
openSUSE Leap Micro 6.0 introduces several important changes to its installation processes, pivoting entirely to image-based deployment strategies. It discontinues the traditional installer, opting for self-install images that simplify device setup.
Here’s something important to note: During our tests, installing openSUSE Leap Micro 6.0 took around 40 seconds. Actually, the entire setup, including the initial configuration, was completed in less than two minutes. That means you have a fully functional system ready to serve your virtualization and containerization needs in just two minutes. That’s truly amazing!
The installation images are available in various formats, including QCOW for KVM, VMDK for VMware, and generic raw images, catering to various hardware architectures, such as x86_64, aarch64, and s390x.
One significant introduction is a real-time kernel option for systems that require precise timing and performance. However, this option does not support KVM, restricting it to container use only.
Acknowledging the security needs of edge deployments, openSUSE has enhanced the security posture of Leap Micro 6.0 with full disk encryption. This feature is particularly crucial for deployments outside secure data centers, adding an extra layer of data protection.
Moreover, the update also marks a shift in supported security frameworks. Leap Micro 6.0 fully supports SELinux out of the box, providing a robust security framework suitable for its deployment environments.
Focusing on containerization, Leap Micro 6.0 integrates the latest version of Podman, upgrading from 4.3.X to 4.7.1, substantially improving container network performance, IPv6 support, and general container management. It’s important to note that with these changes, users upgrading from earlier versions of Podman might need to adjust their configurations.
With this release, openSUSE begins the phase-out of legacy BIOS support on x86_64 systems, planning for future releases to embrace UEFI fully. The LTTng tool, used for performance tracing, is also on the deprecation path, making way for newer technologies like bpftrace.
With the advent of openSUSE Leap Micro 6.0, the previous 5.4 version has officially reached end-of-life. In light of this, 5.4 users will no longer receive maintenance updates, prompting the need for an upgrade.
However, for users seeking more stability and less frequent upgrades, Leap Micro 5.5 remains supported and will continue to receive updates until the release of Leap Micro 6.1.
System administration is a breeze thanks to Cockpit, which comes by default. Just immediately after installation, enable the service by running:
systemctl enable --now cockpit.socketCode language: Bash (bash)Then point your browser to “https://server-ip-address:9090” and take advantage of the software’s great web-based administration.
For those needing assistance during setup or migration, comprehensive documentation is available online, with detailed guides on deploying images, managing upgrades from previous versions, and utilizing new features.
The announcement provides detailed information about all changes. All image variants, including those without the virtualization stack, are available for download from openSUSE’s official site.
