Microsoft has made available downloadable ISO files for Azure Linux 4, a Fedora-derived distribution. This allows users to install and test it outside of Azure for the first time.
The ISO files can be found on the project's GitHub page. Azure Linux 4 is still in preview, and Microsoft advises against using it in production environments. Both x86-64 and Arm64 images are offered.
The ISO files are not located in the usual GitHub Releases section, which mainly includes kernel builds. Instead, users need to scroll down to the Using Azure Linux section and expand the ISO Installer subsection to find the images.
What Azure Linux 4 Is Designed For
Azure Linux 4 is the successor to Azure Linux 3, which itself evolved from Microsoft's earlier CBL-Mariner distribution. Unlike its predecessors, which were based on VMware Photon OS, Azure Linux 4 sources most of its packages and metadata from Fedora. As part of the transition, Microsoft has shifted configuration files from .spec to TOML format.
The current build identifies itself as "Four Beta" and runs on kernel 6.18 with systemd 258.4. Although it is derived from Fedora, Azure Linux 4 is not compatible with Fedora packages. Only two repositories are enabled by default:
- azurelinux-base
- azurelinux-microsoft, both hosted at packages.microsoft.com/azurelinux/.
The available package selection is limited; common tools such as less and htop are not included in the default installation and are not available for installation.
Azure Linux 4 is intended for use inside Azure virtual machines as part of automated deployment pipelines. The ISO version is mainly for testing and not meant for general desktop or bare-metal installation.
The distribution does not come with a graphical desktop environment like GNOME, and Microsoft has not announced plans to include one. Users who want a container-focused host should consider Azure Container Linux instead, which is Microsoft's dedicated distribution for the Azure Kubernetes Service. It is available separately on GitHub.
What To Expect From The Preview ISO
The Azure Linux 4 preview has modest resource requirements. It has a download size of 1 GB, requires 1.1 GB of disk space, and needs 359 MB of RAM.
The installation process is straightforward, using a simple command-line tool. By default, it sets up an LVM configuration with memory ballooning enabled.
This distribution can run inside local Hyper-V virtual machines as well as Azure VMs, making it accessible for developers testing workloads before deploying to Azure infrastructure.
Azure Linux 4 features the dnf package manager, allowing users to easily install additional software from available repositories. The distribution is not intended to be an immutable container host, which means administrators have the flexibility to customize their installations for specific workloads within the range of available packages.
Microsoft has not released a detailed package roadmap, and the current repository selection reflects the preview status of the release.
How To Try Azure Linux 4 Locally
To download and try out Azure Linux 4 locally, follow these steps:
- Visit the Azure Linux 4 GitHub page and scroll down to the section titled 'Using Azure Linux.'
- Expand the 'ISO Installer' subsection and choose either the x86-64 or Arm64 image depending on your needs.
- Create a virtual machine using Hyper-V, VirtualBox, VMware, or another hypervisor.
- Boot the VM from the ISO file you downloaded and proceed with the command-line installation prompts.
It is important to note that Azure Linux 4 is still in preview, so it should not be used in production environments. The preview status indicates that the distribution may have bugs, incomplete package selections, or behaviors that could change before it becomes generally available.
Microsoft's published lifecycle documentation states that Azure Linux 4 will use long-term support kernels and receive monthly security updates. Some reports have mentioned a two-year update cycle, but this has not been confirmed in the official lifecycle documentation.
Azure Linux 4 illustrates Microsoft's ongoing effort to bring more of its infrastructure toolchain in-house. The company migrated LinkedIn to Azure Linux two years ago, eliminating its reliance on the now-end-of-life CentOS Linux distribution.
Moving to Fedora as an upstream source with Azure Linux 4 reduces another dependency on VMware Photon OS, which was used in earlier versions.
This transition also supports a broader industry trend away from Broadcom's VMware, with companies like Tesco and T-Mobile reported to be shifting their infrastructure away from VMware as well.
What Users Should Know Before Installing
For users interested in trying out Azure Linux 4, the ISO downloads offer the first chance to test the distribution locally. It's recommended to download and test in a virtual machine environment only.
Use it for evaluating packaging and configuration changes from earlier versions of Azure Linux.
Do not use it for production workloads or mission-critical systems. Keep an eye on the GitHub repository for updates as the preview moves toward general availability.
Microsoft has not announced a specific release date for Azure Linux 4. Users planning to migrate from Azure Linux 3 should follow the preview on GitHub and check Microsoft's official documentation for guidance on when it will be ready for production.
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