See update at the end.
Warning. Rant mode enabled…
It’s over a year since Oracle Linux 9 was released and we still haven’t seen any certifications of Oracle products on it. What is going on?
Check out the really important update at the end of the post.
Setting the scene
Here are the current support dates for Oracle Linux.
| Release | GA Date | Premier Support Ends | Extended Support Ends |
| OL6 | Feb 2011 | Mar 2021 | Jul 2024 |
| OL7 | Jul 2014 | Jul 2024 | Jun 2026 |
| OL8 | Jul 2019 | Jul 2029 | Jul 2031 |
| OL9 | Jun 2022 | Jun 2032 | Jun 2034 |
So unless you want to start paying for extended support, you need to be getting rid of OL7 soon. The problem is, you can only move to OL8, because OL9 is not supported for Oracle 19c yet.
So if you are trying to do the right thing by migrating off OL7, you are being forced on to an old version of the OS, which in turn reduces the amount of time you can run before the next OS move.
The next long term release of the Oracle database is Oracle 23c. It’s still in beta, so we don’t know what it will be supported on yet, but 23c Free is only available for RHEL8/OL8 at this time.
Your choices?
So your choices are:
- Migrate on to OL8, which solves your OS support issue, and will allow you to upgrade to 23c when it is released.
- Wait for 23c to be released and hope it is supported on OL9. If it is, do a big bang migration to OL9 and 23c, hoping you can get it all done before the OL7 support deadline.
I don’t like either of these choices.
What do I want?
Apart from unlimited wishes, I want:
- A definitive statement about if Oracle 19c will ever be supported on OL9. If it will be, when is that likely to happen? My guess is this will never happen, but I want an official statement ASAP.
- A definitive statement about support for Oracle 23c on OL9. Will it be supported when 23c goes GA?
- I guess it would also be nice if RHEL/OL upgrades actually worked reliably, but that is the subject for another rant!
Conclusion
I think like most people, I just want some clarity. It’s hard to plan when you don’t have any of the vital information. The thought of having to move to OL8 rather than OL9 is kind-of depressing… 😞
Cheers
Tim…
Update from Oracle: “Oracle Database product management has confirmed that when Oracle Database 23c ships, it will be certified for both OL8 and OL9. Also, Oracle Database 19c will be certified on OL9 before end of 2023.”
Update: Oracle have now certified Oracle 19c on Oracle Linux 9, as discussed here.
