AlmaLinux 9 is a free, RHEL-compatible Linux distribution maintained by the non-profit AlmaLinux OS Foundation, with security updates through May 31, 2032.<\/p>\n
On a VPS, it\u2019s the strongest pick for cPanel hosting, production workloads that need RHEL compatibility, and teams migrating off CentOS Linux 7.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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- Rocky Linux is a near-equivalent alternative.<\/li>\n
- Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is better for Docker-first developers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
DreamHost VPS Hosting<\/a> offers AlmaLinux alongside Ubuntu and Debian, with NVMe SSD storage and full root access.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
You\u2019re about to make a big decision.<\/p>\n
Maybe the biggest one of your life.<\/p>\n
Okay, that\u2019s a lie. But it is a decision that will live in your terminal for the next five years.<\/p>\n
Which OS should you run on your new VPS?<\/p>\n
You probably already know AlmaLinux 9 is a RHEL-family distribution, and you\u2019ve heard it called \u201cthe modern CentOS.\u201d<\/p>\n
The question on the table is whether AlmaLinux 9 is the right answer for what you\u2019re actually building, or whether Rocky, Oracle, Ubuntu, or Debian is the smarter call.<\/p>\n
Most people pick the OS the first tutorial they read picked.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s how a Docker side project ends up on AlmaLinux when it should be on Ubuntu, and how a cPanel reseller ends up on Ubuntu when it should be on AlmaLinux.<\/p>\n
But what\u2019s right for you<\/em>?<\/p>\n
What Makes AlmaLinux 9 Different From Other Linux Distros?<\/h2>\n
AlmaLinux 9 is binary compatible with RHEL 9 \u2014 software that works on RHEL works on AlmaLinux, and the project treats any break as a bug. It\u2019s governed by a non-profit foundation, and it carries no license cost. That\u2019s the short version, and it\u2019s how most readers will tell AlmaLinux 9 apart from the four distros it actually gets confused with.<\/p>\n
![\"AlmaLinux](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01-AlmaLinux-9-vs.-Other-Linux-Distros_1x.webp\")
<\/figure>\nHere\u2019s the longer cut, distro by distro.<\/p>\n
AlmaLinux vs. CentOS Stream<\/h3>\n
CentOS Stream is the upstream development platform for upcoming RHEL releases \u2014 it\u2019s where Red Hat prepares code before it ships. AlmaLinux 9 sits on the other side of that relationship. It no longer aims to be a 1:1 downstream rebuild of RHEL; in July 2023 the project shifted its goal<\/a> to maintaining compatibility with RHEL, so applications that run on RHEL run unchanged on AlmaLinux, while the project keeps room to ship its own fixes.<\/p>\n
AlmaLinux vs. Rocky Linux<\/h3>\n
Both projects launched in 2021, after Red Hat announced in December 2020 that CentOS Linux development would end in favor of CentOS Stream. Both are RHEL-compatible. For most teams running a web server, database, or app server, the practical difference is negligible. Phoronix\u2019s June 2025 benchmark review<\/a> found AlmaLinux 10 and Rocky Linux 10 performance \u201cright on-par\u201d with RHEL 10 across dozens of tests.<\/p>\n
The differentiators that matter live in governance. AlmaLinux\u2019s governance sits inside the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, a 501(c)(6) non-profit with publicly available foundation bylaws<\/a> and a board chosen by foundation members. Rocky Linux is hosted by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation, with backers that include CIQ.<\/p>\n
The compatibility goals also split in mid-2023. After Red Hat announced in June 2023<\/a> that CentOS Stream would become the sole repository for public RHEL-related source code releases, AlmaLinux moved from 1:1 rebuilds to a compatibility promise: anything that works on RHEL should work on AlmaLinux, and a break is treated as a bug. Rocky Linux kept the original goal \u2014 it\u2019s designed to be 100% bug-for-bug compatible with RHEL, rebuilding sources directly from RHEL.<\/p>\n
AlmaLinux vs. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS<\/h3>\n
AlmaLinux 9 fits long-running production servers and RHEL-adjacent ecosystems \u2014 if your team is already using CentOS, Red Hat, or Fedora elsewhere, the package management (dnf\/rpm), SELinux defaults, and system administration patterns will feel familiar. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS fits modern dev workflows, Docker-first tutorials, and teams that want the larger community tutorial corpus. The package ecosystem (apt\/deb) is different but not harder.<\/p>\n
Support timelines are comparable: AlmaLinux 9 receives security patches through May 2032, and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS receives standard security maintenance through May 2029<\/a>, with expanded security maintenance available through May 2034 via Ubuntu Pro. The choice usually comes down to which ecosystem your team already knows.<\/p>\n
AlmaLinux vs. RHEL<\/h3>\n
RHEL is the paid Red Hat product with a Red Hat support contract and access to tools like Red Hat Lightspeed (formerly Red Hat Insights). AlmaLinux 9 is binary compatible with RHEL 9, free, and receives security patches through May 31, 2032, but without Red Hat\u2019s commercial support contract.<\/p>\n
For workloads that don\u2019t need vendor support, AlmaLinux 9 offers a very similar operational experience without the per-system invoice.<\/p>\n
Who Maintains AlmaLinux 9 and Can You Trust the Lifecycle?<\/h2>\n
AlmaLinux is maintained by the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, a 501(c)(6) non-profit founded in March 2021 to own and manage the project, with a governing board chosen by foundation members and bylaws published in full.<\/p>\n
![\"AlmaLinux](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/02-AlmaLinux-9-Support-Timeline_1x.webp\")
<\/figure>\nThat\u2019s the post-CentOS trust answer in one sentence. Here\u2019s why it matters.<\/p>\n
CloudLinux, the project\u2019s founding sponsor, provides $1M in annual sponsorship, and more than 25 other sponsors back the Foundation alongside a broad membership base (see the AlmaLinux Foundation membership page<\/a> for the current roster).<\/p>\n
Members choose the board, the bylaws are public, and the build system is open. The 2020 CentOS shift caught hosting teams flat-footed because a single corporate decision retired the distribution their servers ran on. AlmaLinux\u2019s structure is the direct answer to that: the foundation \u2014 not any one company \u2014 owns the project.<\/p>\n
The lifecycle numbers reinforce that durability. Active support runs through May 31, 2027, and security support runs through May 31, 2032 (per endoflife.date<\/a>). An AlmaLinux 9 VPS provisioned today can receive security updates through May 31, 2032. (That\u2019s not a typo. Nearly six years from now.)<\/p>\n
For workloads where the cost of replatforming is high, the long tail is the entire point. You provision once, patch on autopilot, and stop thinking about the OS for years.<\/p>\n
What Does AlmaLinux 9 Setup Look Like on a VPS?<\/h2>\n
A clean AlmaLinux 9 setup runs through seven moves. Nothing exotic \u2014 just a slightly different set of defaults than Ubuntu. The shape is the same as Ubuntu or Debian; the commands and a couple of defaults differ.<\/p>\n
For the full command-by-command procedure, the AlmaLinux 9 installation guide<\/a> is the canonical reference.<\/p>\n
![\"AlmaLinux](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/03-AlmaLinux-VPS-Setup-Seven-Steps_1x.webp\")
<\/figure>\nProvision the VPS with AlmaLinux 9 as the OS image<\/h3>\n
Many VPS providers ship a cloud image that boots cleanly on KVM hypervisors. Select AlmaLinux 9 as the OS image during provisioning, and confirm root access is enabled on the plan you picked \u2014 the rest of these steps assume you can sudo.<\/p>\n
Update the system and create a non-root sudo user<\/h3>\n
dnf update -y<\/code> is the AlmaLinux equivalent ofapt update && apt upgrade<\/code>. After that, create a dedicated sudo user and stop logging in as root.<\/p>\ndnf update -y\nuseradd -m -G wheel yourname\npasswd yourname<\/code><\/pre>\n(If your fingers still type \u2018
yum<\/code>,\u2019 you\u2019re in good company.\u2018dnf\u2019<\/code> replaced\u2018yum\u2019<\/code><\/a> as the default package manager starting with RHEL 8 and CentOS 8, though\u2018yum\u2019<\/code> still works on AlmaLinux 9 \u2014 it\u2019s now a symbolic link todnf<\/code>.)<\/p>\nHarden SSH access<\/h3>\n
Switch to key-based authentication, set PermitRootLogin<\/strong> no in \/etc\/ssh\/sshd_config<\/strong>, and restart sshd<\/strong>. The pattern is broadly similar to Ubuntu or Debian.<\/p>\n
Configure firewalld<\/h3>\n
AlmaLinux 9 uses
\u2018firewalld,\u2019<\/code> the built-in firewall management tool on the RHEL family, instead of UFW. The command pattern isfirewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http<\/code>, thenfirewall-cmd --reload<\/code>.<\/p>\nOpen 22 for SSH, 80 and 443 for web traffic, and avoid exposing unnecessary ports publicly.<\/p>\n
Verify SELinux is enforcing<\/h3>\n
SELinux is Linux\u2019s mandatory access control system, and on the RHEL 9 family, enforcing is the default mode<\/a>. Run
sestatus<\/code><\/strong> to confirm.<\/p>\nYou\u2019re looking for \u2018Current mode: enforcing.\u2019<\/p>\n
Leave it that way.<\/p>\n
SELinux policy ships with contexts pre-defined for common services \u2014 Apache\u2019s
httpd_t<\/code>, for example \u2014 so the friction is generally lower than the reputation suggests. If a specific app fights SELinux, tune the context or policy instead of disabling SELinux entirely. (The big exception is cPanel, which requires SELinux disabled \u2014 more on that in the FAQ.)<\/p>\nEnable EPEL<\/h3>\n
EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux) is a Fedora Project repository for RHEL-compatible distributions that provides packages outside the base repos. On AlmaLinux 9, enable CRB first, then install EPEL \u2014 the same order AlmaLinux\u2019s own after-installation guide<\/a> uses:<\/p>\n
dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb<\/strong>\ndnf install -y epel-release<\/strong><\/code><\/pre>\nSet up automatic security updates<\/h3>\n
dnf-automatic<\/code><\/strong> handles scheduled automatic package updates without rebooting the system unprompted. Turn it on once, and the 2032 security support window stays meaningful instead of decaying because nobody ran dnf update for nine months.<\/p>\nAbout 20 minutes of real work for someone who\u2019s done it before. The first time costs more because firewall and SELinux conventions differ from the Ubuntu defaults most tutorials assume.<\/p>\n
How Do You Size an AlmaLinux 9 VPS?<\/h2>\n
![\"RAM](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/04-AlmaLinux-VPS-RAM-Sizes-Compared_1x.webp\")
<\/figure>\nAlmaLinux 9 needs at least 1.5 GB of RAM and 10 GB of disk space (20 GB recommended) per the official installation guide, and \u2014 like RHEL 9 \u2014 an x86-64-v2 or newer processor<\/a>. Anything above that floor depends on the workload running on top.<\/p>\n
The realistic floor for a production server is 4 GB, and you\u2019ll likely size up from there.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the practical mapping by workload:<\/p>\n
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![](\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cta_image_a-877x522.webp)
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