Why upgrade to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.6 or 10 now

My name is Gil Cattelain, and I'm a Product Marketing Manager here at Red Hat. I joined the company over four years ago, and I manage the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) marketing releases and launches. You've likely read some of my blog posts, which I typically publish with every minor or major release, but this article highlights the importance of upgrading. If you're still on RHEL 6, RHEL 7, or even RHEL 8, then you should consider upgrading to RHEL 9.6 or a later version to take advantage of all the cool new features included in those versions.

Why should you seriously consider upgrading to RHEL 9.6 or 10? That's easy: To immediately leverage the groundbreaking technologies we've recently shipped. All new features included in RHEL 10 are also in RHEL 9.6, such as image mode and RHEL Lightspeed. While  post-quantum cryptography isn't yet in RHEL 9.x, it is planned for the upcoming RHEL 9.7 release.

As you plan your upgrade from previous versions, make the leap to RHEL 9.6, RHEL 9.7, or even RHEL 10 to unlock these cutting-edge technologies!

RHEL Lightspeed

A significant new feature in both RHEL 9.6 and RHEL 10 is the RHEL Lightspeed command-line assistant. This powerful and optional AI assistant is directly integrated into the RHEL command-line interface, offering a revolutionary way to work. It can instantly and accurately answer RHEL-related questions, assist with troubleshooting to resolve issues faster, and easily decipher complex log entries, along with many other tasks to streamline daily operations. This command-line assistant provides a natural language interface, incorporating information from valuable resources like the RHEL documentation and release notes, thereby empowering organizations with an incredibly powerful tool for easier management, troubleshooting, and overall interaction with their RHEL systems.

Learn more about RHEL Lightspeed.

Image mode

Image mode, available in both RHEL 9.6 and RHEL 10, transforms how you build, deploy, and manage your operating system (OS). Containers have become the preferred platform for application innovation, and RHEL 9.6 and 10 extends this power to the OS itself. Image mode allows you to deploy your OS as a bootc image to your hardware, virtual machine, or cloud, and then layer your applications on top. This approach is significantly less complex than traditional packaged deployments, offering developers and image maintainers a unified experience and complete control over their environment.

By simplifying OS updates, image mode in RHEL 9.6 and 10 reduces the need for frequent patching and minimizes the configuration drift that often arises from administrators' daily interactions and problem-solving. It provides a consistent and streamlined method for managing your OS using familiar container technologies, effectively allowing you to manage your OS with the same tools and workflows used for applications. This fosters a common experience and language across your teams, streamlining operations and reducing friction. With the flexibility offered by both the traditional package mode and the innovative image mode in RHEL 9.6 and RHEL 10, you can select the most appropriate approach for your specific workloads and organizational requirements.

Get started with image mode.

Post-quantum cryptography

Finally, we introduced post-quantum cryptography in RHEL 10, which is planned for RHEL 9.7. So yes, definitely consider upgrading to RHEL 9.7 as well!

RHEL 10 is at the forefront of post-quantum cryptography in Linux, addressing the threat quantum computing poses to modern cryptography. It ships with new quantum-resistant algorithms to enhance confidentiality through key exchange in a post-quantum world, with more algorithms planned for future releases. Red Hat has been proactively developing solutions to meet the challenges posed by quantum computers, ensuring data protection against future attacks and compliance with upcoming regulations like those from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Read about post-quantum cryptography in RHEL 10.

RHEL lifecycle

Beyond these groundbreaking capabilities, we've also introduced many other exciting features in RHEL 10 and 9.6. Check out this datasheet for comprehensive information. Also, be sure to read about what's new in RHEL 10 and what's new in RHEL 9.6. We've published details about the lifecycle plan for all releases so you have an idea of when the next releases are coming.

If you need information about upgrading to a later version of RHEL, explore the how to upgrade to a later version of RHEL page.

As always, if you have any more questions, then don't hesitate to contact your Red Hat representative.