Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux
DeveloperAlpine Linux development team
OS familyLinux (Unix-like)
Working stateActive
Source modelOpen source
Initial releaseAugust 2005; 19 years ago (2005-08)[1]
Latest release3.20.3[2] / 6 September 2024; 2 months ago (6 September 2024)
Repository
Marketing targetGeneral-purpose. Security, embedded systems and other resource-constrained systems, such as containers.[3]
Available inMultilingual
Package managerapk-tools
Platforms
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux)
UserlandBusyBox
Default
user interface		Ash
Official websitealpinelinux.org

Alpine Linux is a Linux distribution designed to be small, simple, and secure.[3] It uses musl, BusyBox, and OpenRC instead of the more commonly used glibc, GNU Core Utilities, and systemd.[4][5][6][7][8] This makes Alpine one of few Linux distributions not to be based on the GNU Core Utilities.[9]

For security, Alpine compiles all user-space binaries as position-independent executables with stack-smashing protection.[10]

Because of its small size and rapid startup, it is commonly used in containers providing quick boot-up times,[11][12] on virtual machines as well as on real hardware in embedded devices, such as routers, servers and NAS.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference sf-history was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Alpine 3.17.10, 3.18.9, 3.19.4, 3.20.3 released". 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b "about | Alpine Linux". alpinelinux.org.
  4. ^ says, GigaTux (24 August 2010). "Alpine Linux 2 review | LinuxBSDos.com".
  5. ^ Security-Oriented Alpine Linux 3.7 Has UEFI Support, GRUB Support in Installer, Softpedia News
  6. ^ 10 Most Secure Linux Distros For Complete Privacy & Anonymity | 2017 Edition, FossBytes
  7. ^ Noyes, Katherine (9 February 2016). "Is Docker ditching Ubuntu Linux? Confusion reigns". Network World.
  8. ^ "OpenRC - Alpine Linux". wiki.alpinelinux.org.
  9. ^ "What is Alpine Linux? | Definition from TechTarget". IT Operations. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Alpine Linux official website under Secure section". alpinelinux.org/.
  11. ^ "Meet Alpine Linux, Docker's Distribution of Choice for Containers". 28 March 2017.
  12. ^ "Review: Alpine Linux is made for Docker". InfoWorld. 10 July 2017.