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Overview

What is RLC?

Rocky Linux from CIQ (RLC) is a commercially-backed Enterprise Linux distribution for organizations that need a secure, compliant, and reliable operating system with guaranteed updates, validated supply chain, and professional support. CIQ has enhanced the community-driven Rocky Linux with indemnification, service level objectives, and package validation, ensuring peace of mind for businesses across sectors, especially in highly regulated industries.

Why choose Rocky Linux from CIQ?

RLC is the same Rocky Linux you know and love — a bug-for-bug compatible version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) — with value-added services like:

  • Service Level Objectives (SLO): Security patches within 30 days of release.

  • Supply chain validation: Packages in RLC are verified by CIQ, ensuring the safest possible deployment.

  • Indemnification: Legal peace of mind for claims of infringement related to use of open source software.

  • Flexible deployment: Deploy across on-premise and cloud environments.

CIQ is fully aware that organizations in regulated industries (e.g. healthcare, finance, government) need security assurances and compliance certifications. RLC is a commercially-backed Linux distribution that ensures compliance, accountability, and support with flexible licensing options. It's ideal for businesses of any size, from SMBs to global enterprises, no matter where their infrastructure resides.

Key features

Rocky Linux from CIQ is designed for organizations that require enterprise-grade performance, reliability, security, and compliance.

  • Enterprise Linux: Rocky Linux is an open source, bug-for-bug compatible version of RHEL.

  • Latest Rocky 8 and 9 versions: Rocky 8.10 will be under LTS through 2029 while Rocky 9 will update to the latest minor version every six months.

  • Available Everywhere: RLC is available through CIQ's interface and CLI, with cloud marketplace options available in AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI.

  • Tested and Validated Supply Chain: CIQ tests new builds of Rocky Linux and validates the package chain of trust prior to deployment.

  • SLO Security Update: CIQ will ensure fixes are published within a month of a patch being available.

  • SLO Image Freshness: CIQ has a target of all Rocky Linux updates being present within the cloud within four weeks of deployment, with respect to current cloud listing review delays.

  • Based in the US: Headquartered in the US, CIQ takes pride in maintaining a predominantly US-based development team, ensuring a strong security posture for handling highly secure government workloads and critical infrastructure.

  • Reliable US-based Content Mirrors: CIQ hosts dedicated repositories for RLC customers in US-based datacenters that are mirrored across time zones and cloud regions.

Feature Rocky Linux Rocky Linux from CIQ
1:1 compatibility with Enterprise Linux ✅ ✅
Supply chain validation by CIQ ❌ ✅
Package Validation and confirmation by CIQ ❌ ✅
SLO on security updates ❌ ✅
Limited indemnification ❌ ✅
Priority dedicated access to repositories ❌ ✅
Professional support with SLAs Available Available
Guarantees on security updates ❌ ✅
FIPS 140-3 ❌ Available
Cloud-specific content mirrors ✅ ✅
Paid support options ✅ ✅

Service Level Objectives (SLO) for Rocky Linux

Open source communities are excellent sources of innovation, but don't always move at the speed of business. RLC will ensure you get business-critical updates at a commercial release cadence. With RLC's SLOs, releases can be expected within one month of enterprise Linux point releases.

  • Timely Security Updates: RLC will receive updates from upstream Enterprise Linux within 30 days of general availability for all supported versions of Rocky Linux. In the rare instance that unforeseen challenges arise, CIQ remains committed to keeping you informed with regular updates, ensuring you have a clear view of progress and anticipated delivery timelines. Our proactive approach ensures we can adapt and continue moving forward, all while keeping your goals in focus.

  • Critical Security Response: RLC will receive best efforts for remediating or mitigating critical security vulnerabilities within 30 days of a fix being available. CIQ will prioritize customer security by providing regular status updates, ensuring transparency throughout the resolution process. Our professional services team will be available to aid with mitigation efforts, whether through existing support agreements or additional engagements. CIQ is committed to keeping customer systems secure and operational.

Use Cases

RLC is ideal for:

Enterprise Organizations

  • Companies requiring commercial support and guarantees
  • Organizations with compliance requirements
  • Businesses needing predictable costs and licensing
  • Teams requiring rapid security updates

Regulated Industries

  • Healthcare organizations handling sensitive data
  • Financial services with compliance requirements
  • Government contractors needing US-based support
  • Companies subject to audit requirements

Multi-Environment Deployments

  • Organizations with hybrid cloud strategies
  • Companies deploying across multiple cloud providers
  • Businesses with both on-premise and cloud infrastructure
  • Teams requiring consistent environments across platforms

Getting Started

To get started with RLC:

  1. Contact CIQ Sales: Discuss your requirements and obtain licensing at info@ciq.com
  2. Deploy: Choose your deployment method - ISO installation, KVM images, cloud marketplace, or container images
  3. Configure: Set up your environment and enable repository access
  4. Support: Activate professional support services as needed

Support and Resources

  • Professional Support: Enterprise Linux support available from CIQ
  • Training: Available training programs for RLC administration

For more information about RLC licensing and support options, please contact CIQ sales or visit ciq.com.