CloudLinux OS Solo is a new commercial Linux distro based on RHEL built by the creators of the establishedย CloudLinux OS. CloudLinux is also the owner of the community-driven open-source project AlmaLinux, which aims to be 1:1 binary compatible CentOS drop-in replacement.
What’s the Main Idea Behind CloudLinux OS Solo?
Most businesses do not have access to in-house professional Linux administrators for websites built on the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack. Where previously the hosting company configured the systems that allowed the website to operate, now the business must manage these processes themselves.
CloudLinux OS Solo aims to be an affordable option for hosting providers who provide VPS solutions and dedicated servers. The goal is to provide a trusted Linux OS that reduces administrative burdens from users, allowing them to focus on their core business. The new OS will expand the number of potential end-users by attracting business owners who aim to have a powerful server for their single hosting account.
Users with just one hosting account want full automation that works out-of-the-box with minimal setup and compatibility with all popular hosting software, and CloudLinux OS Solo offers these benefits. The users of the new OS will receive complete control over the customization and management of their resources, high website performance, easy administration, tuning, and professional support.
CloudLinux OS Solo also comes with a high degree of automatization, reducing risks associated with manual operations. This reduces the typical number of configuration and operation issues such as PHP and HTTP errors with correspondingly fewer support tickets being raised, lowering support overheads.
CloudLinux OS Solo features
Targeted as a low-cost WordPress optimized Linux OS for small businesses with one hosting account, CloudLinux OS Solo incorporates a range of features that include:
- CloudLinux Manager: Plugin which allows you to control all the CloudLinux settings from an easy-to-use web UI integrated into your control panel.
- Website Monitoring tool: Allows you to track your websites uptime and receive notifications about problems with access.
- PHP Slow Site analyzer: Tool that generates daily reports for the server administrator with information about the top N slow PHP-based URLs for all domains.
- X-Ray: Tool that gather and visualize information about top slowest system functions, external requests, software modules and database queries of the clientโs PHP website.
Lifecycle, Timeline & Pricing
The distro has the same life cycle policy as Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Currently, CloudLinux has committed to supporting CloudLinux OS Solo 8 until May 31, 2029. Now it is released to Beta for users to test and provides feedback. The distro is available for free installation during the whole beta period.
The commercial launch is planned for the third quarter of 2021, together with new features for WordPress optimization. Pricing is expected to be:
- 1 license: $7
- 2-4 licenses: $6
- 5-49 licenses: $5
- 50+ licenses: $4
For detailed information you can refer to the projectโs website.