Rocky Linux is an open source Linux distribution that supports the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) operating system source code. It offers a downstream, binary-compatible release for production-grade RHEL with community support. It was developed by the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation and was made generally available on June 21, 2021.
In 2021, Red Hat discontinued CentOS, a popular RHEL-compatible operating system, forcing its users to seek alternatives. Many in the Linux community consider Rocky Linux the replacement for CentOS. Former CentOS co-founder, Gregory Kurtzer, is leading the Rocky Linux project, and maintainers of Rocky Linux provide easy, automated paths for migrating from CentOS to Rocky Linux.