Skip to Content
Bash Script GuidesRocky Linux 9 (Community) to Rocky Linux from CIQ

Rocky Linux 9 (Community) to Rocky Linux from CIQ

Overview

This guide covers migrating community Rocky Linux 9 to Rocky Linux from CIQ (RLC) using the migrate2rlc.sh bash script. Rocky 9 follows the same optimized "community to RLC" path as Rocky 8: no package swap is needed, just depot enrollment and distro-sync to pull CIQ packages.

The script detects community Rocky when OS_ID=rocky and no CIQ release packages are installed, then routes into the tier change path.

Supported Tiers

  • rlc-pro (Pro)
  • rlc-plus (Plus)
  • rlc-96-lts (Long Term Support, Rocky 9.6 only)

Prerequisites

  • Rocky Linux 9.x (community, not already enrolled in CIQ depot)
  • Root access
  • Network connectivity to CIQ depot servers
  • Valid CIQ depot credentials (username and token)
  • At least 2 GB free disk space
  • For LTS tier: must be running Rocky 9.6 (not 9.7 or later)

Usage

./migrate2rlc.sh -r -t <tier> -u <username> -p <token>

Examples:

./migrate2rlc.sh -r -t rlc-pro -u ciq-portal -p <token>
./migrate2rlc.sh -r -t rlc-96-lts -u ciq-portal -p <token>

The -t argument requires the full tier name. Passing shorthand like pro or plus triggers a validation error before logging is initialized, producing misleading "Bad file descriptor" messages.

Migration Path

  1. detect_os() identifies OS_ID=rocky, OS_MAJOR=9
  2. Script checks for CIQ release packages, finds none, sets is_community_rocky=true
  3. Routes into the tier change path
  4. Installs and configures the CIQ depot CLI
  5. Runs depot login and depot enable for the selected tier product
  6. Writes depot repo files and runs distro-sync
  7. Installs CIQ kernel, rlc-pro-release (Pro tier), or rlc-lts96-release (LTS tier)
  8. Creates post-reboot recovery service
  9. Reboots into CIQ kernel

Rocky 9 Specific Notes

rlc-pro-release Package

Unlike EL8, Rocky 9 has the rlc-pro-release package available. This RPM sets /etc/redhat-release and /etc/os-release to reflect the RLC Pro tier. The content shipped by the RPM is intentional and should not be modified manually.

LTS Tier (rlc-96-lts)

The LTS tier is only available for Rocky 9.6. The script validates the minor version after detect_os() and rejects 9.7 or later with a clear error message.

For LTS migrations, the script:

  • Installs the depot CLI and runs depot enable lts-9.6 before distro-sync
  • Skips write_depot_repos to avoid unversioned URLs upgrading 9.6 to 9.7
  • Rewrites rocky*.repo files to use vault baseurl (Rocky 9.6 mirrors are vaulted)
  • Pins releasever via /etc/dnf/vars/releasever and /etc/dnf/dnf.conf

CIQ Kernel Naming

CIQ kernel packages use different naming conventions by architecture:

  • x86_64: .ciq. in the version string (e.g., 5.14.0-611.36.1.el9_7.ciq.3)
  • aarch64: _ciq suffix (e.g., 5.14.0-611.36.1+2.1.el9_7_ciq)

Both architectures have CIQ kernels available in depot repos.

Edge Case Handlers

The script runs run_edge_case_handlers() before migration and run_edge_case_restoration() after, even on the community Rocky path. These handle immutable repo directory attributes, version-locked packages, and third-party repo conflicts.

Post-Reboot Recovery

A systemd oneshot service handles post-reboot tasks: depot re-enrollment verification, service status checks (per-service and per-repo, every 60 seconds, 10 minute timeout), and migration summary output.

Verification

After reboot, confirm the migration:

cat /etc/os-release
depot list
rpm -qa | grep ciq
uname -r

The kernel version should contain .ciq. (x86_64) or _ciq (aarch64).

For LTS, also confirm:

cat /etc/dnf/vars/releasever
depot list | grep lts

Troubleshooting

Check /var/log/migrate2rlc.log for details. The script always prints a migration summary with troubleshooting commands.

Common issues on Rocky 9:

  • LTS on 9.7+: script rejects the migration (downgrade to 9.6 first or use Pro/Plus)
  • Third-party repos with incompatible packages: disable before migration
  • Stale depot repos from prior enrollment: script cleans duplicates automatically

DISCLAIMER

The migrate2rlc script and playbook are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Use of these tools is entirely at your own risk. CIQ, Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for any data loss, system downtime, service disruption, or other damage resulting from the use or misuse of these tools. It is the user's responsibility to ensure adequate backups and testing in a non-production environment before performing any migration on production systems.

Rocky Linux 8 (Community) to Rocky Linux from CIQCentOS Stream 8 to Rocky Linux from CIQ