Benny Vasquez, Chair of the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, shares his journey from CentOS to leading a vibrant community-driven project. He discusses how AlmaLinux emerged as a trustworthy alternative following Red Hat's shift, emphasizing its open and neutral governance. Benny highlights the project's commitment to sustainability and adaptability, making it suitable for both enterprise and legacy systems. Additionally, he touches on the integration of .NET and the importance of community support, showcasing AlmaLinux's role in the ever-evolving open-source landscape.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Benny's Path to AlmaLinux
Benny Vasquez got involved with AlmaLinux because he was a CentOS user.
He was asked to help translate technical details for the community and agreed enthusiastically.
insights INSIGHT
CentOS's Evolution and AlmaLinux's Need
CentOS was a community-built, free downstream version of Red Hat for nearly 20 years.
Red Hat's shift to CentOS Stream left a gap that AlmaLinux stepped in to fill, ensuring enterprise-grade Linux availability.
insights INSIGHT
Red Hat’s Business Perspective on CentOS Stream
Red Hat created CentOS Stream to get earlier feedback for enterprise releases.
Red Hat viewed downstream CentOS as a competitor harming their business model.
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In this episode, Scott Hanselman sits down with benny Vasquez, Chair of the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, to explore the project's journey since the shift away from CentOS. benny shares insights into how AlmaLinux stays community-driven, transparent, and enterprise-ready—all while navigating the evolving world of open-source licensing. It's a candid and thoughtful conversation about trust, sustainability, and what it takes to build an OS that listens to its users.
Introduction to benny Vasquez and AlmaLinux (00:07.87)
The Evolution of CentOS and Birth of AlmaLinux (01:00.03)
The Role of CentOS Stream and Enterprise Linux Ecosystem (03:27.08)
Why AlmaLinux Stepped In and the Red Hat Source Code Shift (05:19.77)
Differences Between AlmaLinux and Red Hat (08:33.74)
Open Source Governance and Neutrality in AlmaLinux (14:05.99)
Sustainability and Longevity of the AlmaLinux Project (24:07.31)
Adopting AlmaLinux for VFX and Desktop Use (26:37.99)
The Importance of Hardware Support and Adaptability (28:14.02)
Upcoming Events: AlmaLinux Day Vancouver (33:48.05)
Main Takeaways
Community-Driven Replacement for CentOS: AlmaLinux emerged as a community-driven distro to fill the gap left by CentOS after Red Hat's change in focus, ensuring enterprise-grade Linux remains accessible.
Open and Neutral Governance: AlmaLinux prioritizes a meritocratic and community-focused governance structure to maintain independence and serve diverse user needs.
Adaptability and Innovation: By addressing omitted features and bugs faster than traditional vendors, AlmaLinux thrives as a flexible solution for enterprises and personal use, offering extended hardware support.
Commitment to Longevity and Sustainability: The AlmaLinux OS Foundation is focused on creating a project that outlasts its current contributors by setting up governance for long-term stability.
Embracing Enterprise and Desktop Markets: Though AlmaLinux is enterprise-focused, it demonstrates significant adoption in both server and desktop environments, especially in industries like VFX.
Notable Quotes
"AlmaLinux emerged to fill a void, ensuring enterprise-grade Linux users didn’t lose their stability and compatibility." – benny Vasquez
"The key for us is not just building compatibility with Red Hat but allowing for innovation and hardware support that suits the community’s needs." – benny Vasquez
"We have to maintain neutrality in our governance so that no one organization can unduly influence AlmaLinux." – benny Vasquez
"Making it independent in a way that it will outlast me and all of the current contributors is the ultimate success for me." – benny Vasquez
"Linux is known for not leaving folks behind, and that’s an ethos we adhere to with AlmaLinux." – benny Vasquez
Hanselminutes with Scott Hanselman