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Rocky Linux - AlmaLinux

Andy83

Hi,

I am seeing the following notice when I signed into WHM.

Warning: EOL for Rocky Linux Support: Upgrade Your Server Now! cPanel & WHM will discontinue support for Rocky Linux™ 8 and 9 starting in version 134, and you will not be able to upgrade your server to this version. We strongly recommend that you migrate your server now to AlmaLinux OS. 

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I am currently using Rocky Linux v8.10.0 STANDARD standard and cPanel Version
132.0.24
 
1. Please advise when is the deadline I need to migrate server to AlmaLinux OS?
2. Is upgrading to AlmaLinux the only option? Is it a good and reliable OS?
 
Thank you.

Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • William Del Piero cPanel Staff

    Hi,

     

    Although there isn't a strict deadline to migrate from RockyLinux, it would be impossible to upgrade past cPanel v132 unless you move to another supported Operating System. Your sites, email and other services would continue to function past the EOL date (March 31, 2026). The server would simply be unable to receive updates beyond version 132, which could result in missing out on new features/releases and changes between cPanel & WHM versions, or potential bug fixes. 

     

    For long‑term stability and access to future updates, we strongly recommend planning a migration to a supported OS. Upgrading to AlmaLinux isn't the only option, as cPanel will continue supporting the Ubuntu and CloudLinux operating systems. You can find a full list of the Operating Systems supported by cPanel below:

    What operating systems are supported by cPanel?

    0
  • Andy83

    Thanks William for your reply.

    Do you have the rankings of the OS in terms of popularity and stability? AlmaLinux, Ubuntu and CloudLinux

    0
  • Andy83

    Based on your experience, migrating server to a different OS, how long will be the downtime? 

    0
  • William Del Piero cPanel Staff

    Hi,

     

    While cPanel doesn’t publish official rankings for operating system popularity or stability, here’s what I've commonly see across customer environments:
     

    AlmaLinux seems to be the most widely used likely due to the late EOL date and similarity to the traditional RHEL-based systems. Additionally, you can convert AlmaLinux to CloudLinux if needed but Ubuntu cannot be converted to CloudLinux.

     

    The downtime with the Transfer Tool should be minimal as you can choose to either use the Live Transfer feature, or if your domains use remote DNS you can edit your local hosts file before updating the DNS to ensure the domains already work properly on the new server before the DNS switchover.

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  • Andy83

    Hi. If the server has 2TB disk space, how long do you anticipate the transfer tool to take?

    So you do not expect any downtime more than 30 minutes? Thanks.

    0
  • William Del Piero cPanel Staff

    Hi,


    Thank you for your question.


    There are quite a few variables that can affect the total migration time, including the amount of data being transferred, available network bandwidth between the servers, disk read/write performance, and current resource usage on both systems. With approximately 2 TB of data, it’s reasonable to expect the transfer itself to take several hours, though exact timing can vary depending on those factors.

     

    As for downtime, it is typically minimal when the servers are properly prepared in advance. In most cases, any service interruption is limited to the DNS switchover, which is often under 30 minutes. To further reduce DNS propagation time, you may also consider lowering the TTL values in your DNS zones in advance of the migration.

     

    To help ensure a smooth transfer and reduce downtime risk, we strongly recommend migrating between servers running the same major cPanel version and matching MySQL/MariaDB versions whenever possible.

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