[ad_1]
Ok, so it’s not called MS-Linux or Lindows, but Microsoft now has its own honest general-purpose Linux distribution: Common Base Linux, (CBL) -Mariner. And, like any Linux distribution, you can download and run it yourself. Incredible isn’t it? Why the next thing you know, Microsoft will let you run Windows apps on Linux! Oh wait!
Once again with emotion, listen sincerely to Linus Torvalds, Microsoft is no longer the enemy of Linux. The enemy of AWS and Google? You bet. But, Linux no.
Take, for example, CBL-Mariner. Microsoft has not made much of the release of CBL-Mariner. He quietly posted the code on GitHub and anyone can use it. Indeed, Juan Manuel Rey, Microsoft Senior Program Manager for Azure VMware, recently published a guide on creating a CBL-Mariner ISO image. Before that if you were a Linux expert, with a little bit of work you could run it, but now thanks to Rey anyone with a little Linux skills can do it.
CBL-Mariner is not a Linux desktop. Like Azure Sphere, Microsoft’s first specialized Linux distribution, which is used to secure advanced IT services, it is server-side Linux.
This Microsoft branded Linux is an internal Linux distribution. It is intended for cloud infrastructure and Microsoft edge products and services. Its main job is to provide a consistent Linux platform for these devices and services. Much like Fedora is for Red Hat, it keeps Microsoft at the forefront of Linux.
CBL-Mariner is built around the idea that you only need a small set of common core packages to meet cloud and edge service needs. If you need more, CBL-Mariner also makes it easy to layer additional packages in addition to its common core. Once done, its simple build system allows you to easily build RPM packages from SPEC and source files. You can also use it to create ISO images or virtual hard disk (VHD) images.
As you might expect, the base CBL-Mariner is very light Linux. You can use it as a container or a container host. With its limited size also comes a minimal attack surface. It also makes it easier to deploy security fixes through RPM. Its designers make it a point of honor to provide the latest patches and security patches to its users. To learn more about its security features, see CBL-Mariner’s GitHub Security Features List.
Like any other Linux distribution, CBL-Mariner is built on the shoulders of giants. Microsoft credits VMware’s Photon OS Project, Secure Linux, the Fedora Project, Linux from Scratch – a guide to building Linux from source, the OpenMamba distribution and, yes, even GNU and the Free Software Foundation (FSF). I know it infuriates some of you that Microsoft recognizes the FSF, but it’s not the 90s and Steve “Linux is cancer” Ballmer hasn’t been Microsoft’s CEO since 2014.
To try it out for yourself, you’ll be building it on Ubuntu 18.04. Frankly I would be surprised if you couldn’t build it on an Ubuntu Linux distribution from 18.04. I did this on my Ubuntu 20.04.2 desktop. You will also need the latest version of Go language and Docker.
Even though the default build system is Ubuntu, CBL-Mariner itself owes a significant debt to Fedora. For example, it uses Tiny DNF as the DNF RPM package manager. For its update mechanism based on atomic images, it uses RPM-OSTree.
So, if you want secure and stable Linux for your high-tech or containerized computing needs, I suggest – very seriously – that you give CBL-Mariner a try. While I continue to have doubts about Windows as a serious operating system, Microsoft has done a good job in creating a solid Linux. Who would have guessed!
Related stories:
[ad_2]
Source link