Alibaba Cloud Linux/Anolis OS？

Alibaba Cloud Linux and Anolis OS are both Linux operating system distributions developed by Alibaba Cloud, designed for cloud computing environments. They are closely related but serve slightly different purposes.

? 1. Alibaba Cloud Linux

• Overview:
  Alibaba Cloud Linux is a free, high-performance, stable, and secure Linux distribution optimized for Alibaba Cloud infrastructure. It’s specifically tuned for Alibaba Cloud’s hardware and virtualization stack (like ECS instances).

• Based On:

  • Alibaba Cloud Linux 2: Based on RHEL/CentOS 7/8 source code.
  • Alibaba Cloud Linux 3: Based on RHEL/CentOS 9 source code.

• Key Features:

  • Kernel and userspace optimizations for performance in cloud environments.
  • Long-term support (LTS) with security patches and bug fixes.
  • Full compatibility with CentOS/RHEL ecosystem (can use existing RPMs).
  • Integrated with Alibaba Cloud monitoring and management tools.
  • Free to use — no additional licensing cost on Alibaba Cloud ECS.

• Use Case:
  Ideal for users running workloads on Alibaba Cloud who want a stable, supported, and optimized OS without the overhead of maintaining their own image.

? 2. Anolis OS

• Overview:
  Anolis OS is an open-source community-driven Linux distribution created by the OpenAnolis Community, which Alibaba actively leads. It aims to provide a production-ready alternative to RHEL-based systems, especially after CentOS shifted focus.

• Based On:
  Source-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), similar to Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux.

• Key Features:

  • Binary compatibility with RHEL/CentOS.
  • Supports multiple architectures: x86_64, ARM64 (aarch64), etc.
  • Offers long-term support versions (e.g., Anolis OS 8, Anolis OS 23).
  • Includes custom kernels (like the OpenAnolis Kernel, or real-time kernel variants).
  • Part of China’s broader push for open-source independence from Western-centric ecosystems.

• Relation to Alibaba Cloud Linux:

  • Alibaba Cloud Linux is a commercial product optimized for Alibaba Cloud.
  • Anolis OS is the upstream open-source community project.
  • Think of it like:
    Anolis OS → Alibaba Cloud Linux ≈ Fedora → RHEL (but not exactly the same model).

  In practice, Alibaba Cloud Linux often incorporates features and packages from Anolis OS and contributes back.

? Relationship Summary

✅ You can think of Anolis OS as the “community edition” and Alibaba Cloud Linux as the “enterprise-optimized version” tailored for Alibaba Cloud.

? Why Were These Created?

After Red Hat announced the end of CentOS (traditional), many organizations needed a reliable, RHEL-compatible replacement. Alibaba responded by:

• Leading OpenAnolis to build a truly open, community-backed OS.
• Creating Alibaba Cloud Linux to offer customers a tightly integrated, performant, and supported OS on its cloud platform.

✅ When Should You Use Which?

? Useful Links

• Alibaba Cloud Linux
• Anolis OS GitHub / OpenAnolis
• Anolis OS Documentation

Let me know if you’d like help choosing between them, or migrating from CentOS/RHEL!