Choosing between Rocky Linux and Ubuntu as a cloud server system does not have a definitive “better” option, only a “more suitable” one. Both are excellent choices, but they have significant differences in positioning, philosophy, and ecosystems.
I will provide a detailed comparison from multiple dimensions and give a final recommendation.
Core Summary: One Minute to See the Conclusion
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Choose Rocky Linux:
- If you pursue extreme stability, security, and 1:1 binary compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
- If your working environment (especially enterprise environments) is traditionally built around the RHEL/CentOS ecosystem.
- If you need to run critical business applications, seeking long-term support cycles and fewer major changes.
- If you or your team are more familiar with the yum/dnf package manager and SELinux.
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Choose Ubuntu Server:
- If you want faster access to new software, new technologies, and more modern hardware support.
- If you extensively use Docker, Kubernetes, and DevOps toolchains, Ubuntu has strong community support and official optimizations in these areas.
- If you prefer a large community, rich online tutorials, and an easy-to-use experience.
- If you are more accustomed to the apt package manager and AppArmor.
Detailed Comparative Analysis
| Feature Dimension | Rocky Linux | Ubuntu Server |
|---|---|---|
| Background and Philosophy | As a successor to CentOS, community-driven, aimed to be a downstream clone of RHEL. The philosophy isstability first, never introducing immature features. | Led by Canonical, based on Debian. The philosophy is moreradical and innovative, committed to promoting the latest technologies, such as Snap packages. |
| Release Cycle | Slow and predictable. Follows RHEL’s release cycle, with a major version supported for up to 10 years. Significant differences between versions. | Fixed and frequent. A regular version every 6 months, and an LTS version every 2 years. LTS versions are supported for 5-10 years. Upgrades between versions are relatively smooth. |
| Packages and Repositories | Packageversions are older, but thoroughly tested and backported security fixes. Pursues stability in the runtime environment. Uses yum/dnf as the package manager. | Packageversions are newer, allowing quicker access to new features. Uses apt as the primary package manager. Also promotes Snap packages for distributing new software versions. |
| Ecology | King of the traditional enterprise market. Widely used in finance, telecommunications, etc. Officially certified with many commercial software and hardware. | Favorite of cloud computing, developers, and startups. Default or preferred recommendation from cloud vendors like AWS, Azure, GCP. Excellent support for DevOps toolchains. |
| Security | Defaults to mandatory use of SELinux. Powerful, but relatively complex to configure, with a steep learning curve. | Defaults to using AppArmor. Configuration is relatively simple and easier to get started. |
| Community and Support | Community is relativelyfocused and professional, mainly composed of former CentOS users and enterprise users. Commercial support can be obtained through third parties compatible with RHEL. | Community isextremely large and active, making it easy to find answers to beginner questions. Commercial support is provided by Canonical (Ubuntu Pro). |
| Learning Cost | If you are familiar with RHEL/CentOS, then zero cost. If not familiar, you need to learn about the RHEL ecosystem. | Very friendly to beginners, with rich documentation and tutorials, making it easier to get started. |
Selection Recommendations for Different Scenarios
1. Traditional Enterprise Applications, Database Servers
- Recommendation: Rocky Linux
- Reason: Running commercial software like Oracle Database, SAP, or internal core business systems, stability is crucial. Rocky Linux’s long-term support, rigorously tested packages, and perfect compatibility with enterprise ecosystems are key.
2. Web Servers (Nginx/Apache + PHP/Python/Node.js)
- Both are acceptable, but slightly inclined:
- If you can use stable version software: Rocky Linux’s packages are sufficient and very stable.
- If you need specific new versions: Ubuntu’s official PPA or third-party repositories make it easier to find new version environments, making deployment more convenient. For example, if you need PHP 8.2, you might be able to install it with one command on Ubuntu.
3. Cloud Computing and Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Recommendation: Ubuntu Server
- Reason: Ubuntu is a “first-class citizen” on major cloud platforms, with many cloud service providers optimizing images and toolchains that prioritize Ubuntu. In the K8s ecosystem, Ubuntu is also the basis for many distributions and deployment tools (like MicroK8s, Canonical’s own K8s distribution). Its kernel and toolchain updates are faster, providing better support for new container technologies and hardware.
4. Learning and Personal Projects
- Recommendation: Ubuntu Server
- Reason: Most tutorials, blogs, and Q&A you find online are based on Ubuntu/Debian. The large community allows you to quickly find solutions when you encounter problems. The apt package manager is also more intuitive for beginners.
5. Seeking Official Support for Specific Open Source Software
- Need to check specifically:
- Some software (like Ceph) officially provides packages for both RHEL and Ubuntu.
- However, some software may officially support only one of them. For example, early versions of the PXE boot service Cobbler are more inclined towards RHEL. It is best to check the official documentation of the software for the list of supported operating systems before making a selection.
Conclusion and Final Recommendations
- Stability outweighs everything, environment inherited from RHEL/CentOS -> Choose Rocky Linux. It is the only choice in this track after CentOS ceased operations. You will not regret its reliability and long-term support.
- Innovation and community support are most important, embrace cloud-native and DevOps -> Choose Ubuntu Server. It will allow you to access new technologies faster, and the large community and rich resources will make your efforts more effective.
A very practical suggestion:
Both systems are free in the cloud. You can create two temporary instances on a cloud server before making a final decision, one with Rocky Linux and one with Ubuntu Server. Spend half an hour trying to complete your most common tasks (e.g., installing Nginx, configuring firewalls, deploying a simple application).
Ultimately, both are excellent operating systems. Whichever you choose, as long as it matches your technical and business needs, it is the best choice.
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