The Open Enterprise Linux Association (OpenLA), consisting of CIQ (Rocky Linux), Oracle, and SUSE, has unveiled an automated system for disposing of initial access texts of packages shortly after the release of the next Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) version. This initiative aims to streamline compatibility efforts with RHEL. The announcement was made recently, with SRC packages for Rhel 9.4 and 8.10, as well as updates, available in the OpenLA repository.
The OpenLA repository, which has replaced the Git.Centos.org repository discontinued by Red Hat, offers packages free of charge and without restrictions. These packages serve as a foundation for creating distributions that are binary compatible with RHEL, exhibit behavior identical to RHEL, and can function as RHEL replacements. The repository is supported by collaborative efforts from RHEL-compatible distributions such as Rocky Linux, Oracle Linux, and SUSE Liberty Linux.
Following the shutdown of Git.Centos.org, the CentoOS Stream repository remains the primary public source of RHEL package code, albeit not always synchronized with RHEL. CentoOS Stream development involves some manual intervention, leading to occasional discrepancies with RHEL packages. Red Hat customers have the option to download SRPM packages through a restricted section of the website, where a user agreement (EULA) prohibits data redistribution, preventing the creation of distribution derivatives using these packages.