Alpine Linux: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:09, 25 November 2023

Revision as of 02:33, 27 November 2023

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'''Alpine Linux''' is a [[Linux distribution]] designed to be small, simple, and secure.<ref name="about">{{Cite web |title=about &#124; Alpine Linux |url=https://alpinelinux.org/about/ |website=alpinelinux.org}}</ref> It uses [[musl]], [[BusyBox]], and [[OpenRC]] instead of the more commonly used [[glibc]], [[GNU Core Utilities]], and [[systemd]].<ref name="linuxbsdos">{{Cite web|url=https://linuxbsdos.com/2010/08/23/alpine-linux-2-review/|title=Alpine Linux 2 review &#124; LinuxBSDos.com|first=GigaTux|last=says|date=24 August 2010}}</ref><ref name="softpedia">[https://news.softpedia.com/news/security-oriented-alpine-linux-3-7-has-uefi-support-grub-support-in-installer-518820.shtml Security-Oriented Alpine Linux 3.7 Has UEFI Support, GRUB Support in Installer], ''Softpedia News''</ref><ref name="fossbytes">[https://fossbytes.com/secure-linux-distros-privacy-anonymity/ 10 Most Secure Linux Distros For Complete Privacy & Anonymity | 2017 Edition], ''FossBytes''</ref><ref name="networkworld">{{Cite web|url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/3031762/is-docker-ditching-ubuntu-linux-confusion-reigns.html|title=Is Docker ditching Ubuntu Linux? Confusion reigns|first=Katherine|last=Noyes|date=9 February 2016|website=Network World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=OpenRC - Alpine Linux |url=https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/OpenRC |website=wiki.alpinelinux.org}}</ref> This makes Alpine one of few Linux distributions not to be based on [[GNU]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is Alpine Linux? {{!}} Definition from TechTarget |url=https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/definition/Alpine-Linux |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=IT Operations |language=en}}</ref>

For security, Alpine compiles all [[user space|user-space]] binaries as [[position-independent executable]]s with [[stack-smashing protection]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alpine Linux official website under Secure section. |url=https://alpinelinux.org/about/ |url-status=live |website=https://alpinelinux.org/}}</ref>

Because of its small size and rapid startup, it is commonly used in [[Operating-system-level virtualization|containers]] providing quick boot-up times,<ref name="thenewstack">{{Cite web|url=https://thenewstack.io/alpine-linux-heart-docker/|title=Meet Alpine Linux, Docker's Distribution of Choice for Containers|date=28 March 2017}}</ref><ref name="infoworld">{{Cite web|url=https://www.infoworld.com/article/3206644/review-alpine-linux-is-made-for-docker.html|title=Review: Alpine Linux is made for Docker|date=10 July 2017|website=InfoWorld}}</ref> on [[virtual machine]]s as well as on real hardware in [[Embedded system|embedded devices]], such as [[Router (computing)|routers]], [[Server (computing)|servers]] and [[Network-attached storage|NAS]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}