After months of preparation, the Alpine Linux development team officially announced that future releases of Alpine Linux will fully adopt the /usr-merged file system layout.
Enabled from version 3.23
Starting from Alpine Linux 3.23, all newly installed systems will default to using /usr-merged. This means that <span><span>/lib</span></span>, <span><span>/bin</span></span>, and <span><span>/sbin</span></span> will no longer exist as separate directories, but will instead be symlinked to the corresponding directories under <span><span>/usr</span></span>.
The main benefit of this approach is that executable files and system libraries will be unified under <span><span>/usr</span></span>, simplifying the file structure and reducing redundancy.
Advantages Offered
The development team pointed out that the advantages of the /usr-merged layout include not only a simplified directory structure but also:
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Reduced package maintenance costs: Less management burden due to directory fragmentation.
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Better support for containerization: Allowing more data provided by distributions to be centralized under
<span><span>/usr</span></span>, facilitating container operations. -
Consistency with mainstream Linux ecosystems: Most mainstream Linux distributions have already adopted /usr-merged as the standard layout.
Compatibility and Transition Period
Currently, <span><span>/usr/bin</span></span> and <span><span>/usr/sbin</span></span> will still be retained as separate paths. However, developers indicated that this situation may change if the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) is updated in the future.
Additionally, after the lifecycle of Alpine Linux 3.22 ends, systems that have not adopted the /usr-merged layout will no longer receive official support.
Developers recommend that users running Alpine Linux Edge for a long time, or those upgrading from older versions to 3.23, should test and migrate to the /usr-merged system as soon as possible to gain better support and higher security.
Scope of Impact
It is important to note that:
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Only newly installed Alpine Linux 3.23 systems will be required to adopt /usr-merged.
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Existing users upgrading from 3.22 can temporarily avoid the /usr merge, and the system will continue to function normally.
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The official announcement page has provided detailed migration guides to assist users in manually completing the merge.
However, the development team also emphasized that in future versions (possibly Alpine Linux 3.26 or 3.27), /usr-merged will become a mandatory standard. At that time, if users remain on a non-/usr-merged system and 3.22 has stopped being supported, upgrades will fail.