Oracle Linux 9 Update 4 Released: Faster, More Stable, and Packed with New Features!

 Oracle Linux 9 Update 4 is now here! As the latest version of the leading enterprise operating system for distributed computing environments, this update offers enhanced performance, security, and support for various programming languages, web servers, and database servers. Curious about what's new? Let's take a look together!

Compatibility and Support

Oracle Linux 9 Update 4 is available for 64-bit Intel and AMD (x86_64) platforms as well as 64-bit Arm (aarch64). The good news is that this update is fully compatible with applications running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Update 4. Additionally, Oracle Linux 9 Update 4 offers a choice of kernels:

• Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK) Release 7 Update 2, 5.15.0-205.149.5.1 for x86_64 and aarch64 platforms
• Red Hat Compatible Kernel (RHCK), 5.14.0-427 for x86_64 platforms

Performance Enhancements

Oracle Linux 9 Update 4 is equipped with significant performance improvements, especially for various programming languages and server software. Here are a few examples:

• Programming Languages: This update introduces Python 3.12, Ruby 3.3.0, PHP 8.2, and Rust 1.75.0. The presence of these latest versions ensures better performance and support for the latest features.
• Web Servers: Enjoy improved web server performance with the introduction of NGINX 1.24, a popular web server and proxy server that is now available on Oracle Linux 9 Update 4.
• Database Servers: Oracle Linux 9 Update 4 supports the use of PostgreSQL 16, a powerful open-source database server with various new features and enhancements.

Toolset: This update also includes improvements to toolsets such as GCC Toolset 13, Performance Co-Pilot 6.2.0, cmake 3.26, and LLVM Toolset 17.0.6. These improvements will provide a better and more efficient development experience.

Cutting-Edge Security

Oracle Linux 9 Update 4 continues to prioritize security. Some of the security enhancements introduced include:

• Enhanced SELinux: This update adds new rules to the SELinux policy to restrict certain systemd services to run only in SELinux enforcing mode.
• Latest OpenSSL: Oracle Linux 9 Update 4 provides the latest OpenSSL that uses the "fips.so" shared library as the FIPS provider. This update ensures the use of certified or in-process certified code in future OpenSSL versions. Additionally, this update allows custom provider configurations to be defined in a separate ".conf" file in the "/etc/pki/tls/openssl.d" directory.
• Enhanced OpenSSH: To prevent user enumeration attacks, Oracle Linux 9 Update 4 embeds enhancements to OpenSSH that will artificially delay responses after login failures.
• Latest SCAP Security Guide: This update introduces SCAP Security Guide 0.1.72, updated with profiles aligned with the latest DISA STIG policies.

Easy and Fast Upgrade

Upgrading to Oracle Linux 9 Update 4 is very easy. You can use the leapp utility to upgrade from Oracle Linux 7 to Oracle Linux 8, and then from Oracle Linux 8 to Oracle Linux 9 Update 4. Step-by-step instructions and information on potential issues during the upgrade process can be found in the Oracle Linux 8 and Oracle Linux 9 documentation.

Availability

Oracle Linux 9 Update 4 is now available in various formats:

• ISO: Download the ISO installation image from the Oracle Linux yum server and Oracle Software Delivery Cloud
• RPM Packages: Get individual RPM packages through the Unbreakable Linux Network (ULN) and Oracle Linux yum server
• Container Images: Find container images on Oracle Container Registry, GitHub Container Registry, and Docker Hub

For more information about Oracle Linux 9 Update 4, you can visit the following resources:

Oracle Linux website: https://www.oracle.com/linux/