ECLOUD博客Alibaba Cloud Linux (also known as Alinux or Aliyun Linux) 2.1903 is a specific version of Alibaba Cloud’s custom Linux distribution, designed for use in Alibaba Cloud environments. Here’s a breakdown of what this means:
🔹 What is Alibaba Cloud Linux?
Alibaba Cloud Linux (formerly Aliyun Linux) is a free, high-performance, secure, and stable Linux operating system developed by Alibaba Cloud. It is optimized for cloud infrastructure and is fully compatible with CentOS/RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux). It’s primarily intended for use on Alibaba Cloud Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instances.
🔹 Version: 2.1903
The version number 2.1903 follows the format:
- 2 → Major version (Alibaba Cloud Linux 2)
- 1903 → Year and Month of release: March 2019
So, 2.1903 means it’s the March 2019 release of Alibaba Cloud Linux 2.
🔹 Key Features (as of 2.1903)
- Based on RHEL/CentOS 7 (systemd, yum, etc.)
- Kernel: Customized 4.19 LTS-based kernel optimized for cloud workloads
- Enhanced performance and stability for Alibaba Cloud ECS
- Integrated cloud monitoring and management tools
- Security hardening and regular updates via Alibaba Cloud
- Supports Alibaba Cloud-specific features (e.g., cloud-init, metadata services)
🔹 Use Cases
- Running applications on Alibaba Cloud ECS
- Migration from CentOS 7 (since Alinux 2 is RHEL7-compatible)
- Need for long-term support with Alibaba Cloud optimizations
🔹 Package Management
Uses YUM (RPM-based), just like CentOS 7:
sudo yum update
sudo yum install httpd🔹 End of Life (EOL)
⚠️ Note: Alibaba Cloud Linux 2 reached end-of-life on June 30, 2024.
Users are strongly encouraged to migrate to Alibaba Cloud Linux 3, which is based on RHEL 8/9 and offers better performance, security, and support.
🔹 How to Check Your OS Version
cat /etc/os-releaseOutput example:
NAME="Alibaba Cloud Linux"
VERSION="2.1903 LTS (Paladin)"
ID="alinux"
ID_LIKE="rhel fedora"
VERSION_ID="2.1903"
PRETTY_NAME="Alibaba Cloud Linux 2.1903 LTS (Paladin)"
ANSI_COLOR="0;31"🔹 Migration to Alibaba Cloud Linux 3
Alibaba provides tools and guides to upgrade from Alinux 2 to Alinux 3:
- Use the Alibaba Cloud Migration Assistant or manual upgrade process
- Check compatibility of applications and drivers
🔗 Official Documentation:
https://help.aliyun.com/product/112741.html
✅ Summary
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| OS Name | Alibaba Cloud Linux 2.1903 |
| Release Date | March 2019 |
| Base | RHEL/CentOS 7 compatible |
| Kernel | 4.19 LTS (customized) |
| Package Manager | YUM |
| EOL | June 30, 2024 |
| Successor | Alibaba Cloud Linux 3 |
If you’re still using Alibaba Cloud Linux 2.1903, it’s highly recommended to upgrade to Alibaba Cloud Linux 3 for continued security updates and support.
Let me know if you need help checking your current version or upgrading!