First things first—AlmaLinux Kitten 10 is a preview version of the next major AlmaLinux 10 release, built on CentOS Stream 10—the foundation for the upcoming RHEL 10.
This release’s goal is just to provide the open-source community with an early preview of what to expect from the final version. In other words, it’s not intended for use in production environments!
Next stop – why “Kitten”? According to Alma, the name is a nod to AlmaLinux’s tradition of using cat-themed code names. So, much like a kitten grows into a cat, AlmaLinux Kitten 10 will evolve into the final AlmaLinux 10 release.
And now, to the most important – what can we expect from the future stable creature? Here are the main highlights:
- Re-enabling Frame Pointers: AlmaLinux Kitten re-enables frame pointers, allowing system-wide real-time tracing and performance optimization.
- Support for Older Hardware: Unlike RHEL 10, which defaults to x86-64-v3, AlmaLinux Kitten also supports x86-64-v2, ensuring compatibility with older hardware.
- Adding SPICE and KVM for IBM POWER: RHEL dropped SPICE support and KVM for IBM POWER in version 9.0, but they are now re-enabled in AlmaLinux Kitten 10 to meet community demand.
- Continued RPM Packaging for Firefox and Thunderbird: Unlike CentOS Stream, which moved to Flatpak versions, AlmaLinux OS Kitten 10 provides RPM packages for Firefox and Thunderbird to support desktop users.
- More Hardware Supported: The release also brings back support for over 150 previously removed devices.
In addition, AlmaLinux Kitten 10 includes several new features and technologies to the table, including the latest GCC 14.2, Rust 1.79, PHP 8.3, and glibc 2.39.
The package also includes virtualization tools like QEMU-KVM 9.1 and enhanced security measures such as Secure Boot for Intel/AMD and ARM platforms. Furthermore, developers will find updated versions of essential tools like Bash 5.2, CMake 3.28, and LLVM-toolset 18.1.
Finally, the installation ISO images for AlmaLinux Kitten 10 are available for download here if you want to experience its new features firsthand. For more information, refer to the announcement or the release notes.
