future of CentOS 8 on Azure

[Klaas-]

Hi,
so end of year approaches fast, that means centos 8 will no longer receive updates. What are the plans for OpenLogic Azure CentOS? Will OpenLogic move to CentOS Stream or will you start building all packages yourself as a real rhel clone like alma/... ?

[Klaas-]

@N3WWN any updates here? CentOS 8 is EOL soon

[N3WWN]

@Klaas- Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, but the future wasn't entirely certain... and still isn't, but at least I have a better idea at this time. ;)

OpenLogic will continue to produce CentOS images for Microsoft Azure, including CentOS 7 and CentOS 8. We've even published a few CentOS 6 images in 2021 even though EL6 has been EoL for almost a year. I mention this because, even though CentOS 8 is going EoL in about 6-10 weeks (Dec 31 or Jan 31, depending on which announcement you're reading), we will likely continue to support the CentOS 8 images after EoL and possibly produce additional images if they are requested by Microsoft.

Since CentOS 7 is not going EoL early, we still have almost 3 more years of CentOS 7 and expect to continue to support the EL7 images after that, just as we are with EL6 and expect to with EL8.

Regarding the future of EL8 after CentOS 8, it does not appear that OpenLogic will be producing images of any of the RHEL downstream distros like Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux or Navy Linux for Microsoft as Core VMs as these projects have their own cloud provider teams who will build the necessary images.

OpenLogic does provide images for these distros through our marketplace account and presently offer CentOS 7, CentOS 8, AlmaLinux 8 and Rocky Linux 8 images. Recently, I've been experimenting with Navy Linux and we may offer images for that distro (and other possible EL8+ distros) in the future.

[Klaas-]

so you will keep publishing repackaged rhel packages for centos8 (free version on azure) even though there is no CentOS (as in non-stream) anymore? Or will you start to publish CentOS Stream packages as updates?

Same questions for the (paid) marketplace images on Azure -- what exactly will you publish as updates after the EOL of CentOS8? C8Stream Packages? Your own rebuilds of rhel packages?

[N3WWN]

Under our agreement with Microsoft, we will provide updates for the CentOS images that we've published as required (and requested) by Microsoft. This may be accomplished via backporting, configuration changes, fresh package builds based on upstream, etc.

As far as our paid images through our Perforce account, we typically do not update the images themselves after a release goes End of Life. We typically provide one last image update that incorporates all available community packages at the time that the release went EoL. In the event that serious security issues arise, we have patched and released updated images in the past to address particular issues (after EoL), but that situation doesn't often arise.

Customers who purchase OpenLogic extended support contracts for distributions that have gone EoL have access to a customer-only repository where we proactively and reactively (ie. upon customer request) patch packages for 5 years beyond EoL.

Access to that repository is not provided with the support included with the marketplace images, but some of our Gold-level customers have requested access to our cloud images, which we have provided without the hourly usage charge. Those customers can then apply the package updates from the extended support repository to their VMs.

Hopefully I've explained this clearly enough and haven't increased the confusion. :)

[tbugfinder]

I had the understanding that we'll get some RockyLinux-HPC type images, too.
Has anybody news in regards to such?

[Klaas-]

Hi @N3WWN
I am afraid I do not understand what you mean -- what I see:
CentOS 8 is no longer receiving updates from community. CentOS 8 is still being offered by Microsoft/OpenLogic.
I can install the latest image:

  {
    "offer": "CentOS-LVM",
    "publisher": "OpenLogic",
    "sku": "8-lvm-gen2",
    "urn": "OpenLogic:CentOS-LVM:8-lvm-gen2:8.5.2022012001",
    "version": "8.5.2022012001"
  },

I can install some updates from http://olcentgbl.trafficmanager.net/centos/8/*
But I a not getting security updates for a lot of recent issues:
CVE-2021-4034 7.8 CVSS
CVE-2022-0185 7.8 CVSS
CVE-2021-4155 5.5 CVSS

So how are these going to get handled?

Greetings
Klaas

[N3WWN]

Hi @Klaas- !

CentOS Linux 8 went EoL on Jan 1, 2022. There are no additional public updates available for CentOS Linux 8 after that date.

[Klaas-]

Just to make it a 100% clear: that means all "publisher": "OpenLogic" free Azure CentOS 8 images are now officially end of life?

[Klaas-]

Also you may want to stop advertising it https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/endorsed-distros#supported-distributions-and-versions, Marketplace etc

[Aaron-ML]

Hi @Klaas- !

CentOS Linux 8 went EoL on Jan 1, 2022. There are no additional public updates available for CentOS Linux 8 after that date.

Centos 8 Stream however continues to receive updates, is there a plan in place to have images for that available on azure? Otherwise we will have to resort to producing our own.