Oracle Linux has been updated with complete compatibility for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, as well as post-quantum cryptography (PQC) protection.

Version 9.7 of Oracle’s open source operating system corresponds with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.7. The platform now includes kernel options for 64-bit Intel and AMD (x86_64) and 64-bit Arm (aarch64) platforms, including Red Hat Compatible Kernel (RHCK) for the x86_64 and aarch64 platforms, and Oracle’s own Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel 8.1 (UEK 8.1) for the x86_64 platform.

Oracle Linux 9.7 also enables PQC support by prioritizing NIST-approved algorithms such as hybrid ML-KEM and pure ML-DSA, with its name service switch (NSS) cryptographic libraries adding ML-DSA support.

Also added is Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) mode support for hybrid ML-KEM key encapsulation, enabling the OpenSSL cryptography kit to leverage both classical and post-quantum algorithms for key exchange.

OpenSSL also touts broader support for modern and post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, including ML-KEM, ML-DSA, and SLH-DSA, and support for the QUIC transport layer protocol.

An updated SCAP Security Guide also bolsters the Linux platform’s security posture with up-to-date key security profiles, enabling SCAP-aligned enterprise deployments.

Away from security, an updated GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) toolset is included for developers to build, test, and deploy applications using modern compiler technology.

A refreshed LLVM toolset promises enhanced code generation and improved performance and data diagnostics, while expanding support for C, C++, and Rust development using Rust's latest edition, available for the first time in the suite.

The platform also introduces Valkey, an in-memory key-value store released last year that is compatible with the Redis in-memory database, with Oracle promising speedy, scalable operations across core data types.

In addition, Cockpit, Oracle Linux's graphical interface, touts a redesigned PatternFly 6 user interface, upgraded virtual machine (VM) and storage components, plus IPv6 support for WireGuard VPNs.

“Oracle Linux provides enterprise-grade security, built-in virtualization and management tools, and optimized performance for large-scale, data- and compute-intensive workloads across distributed and multicloud environments … and delivers on Oracle’s goal of keeping Linux open and free for everyone,” said Gursewak Sokhi, senior technical product manager, Oracle Linux & Virtualization. “As a founding member of the OpenELA, Oracle continues to contribute, maintain, and support Enterprise Linux source code.”