Oracle Linux 9: Now the Default Image for New OCI Compute Instances

 

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) has taken another strategic step toward modernization:
Oracle Linux 9 (OL9) is now the default platform image for newly launched Compute instances.

As of this update, if you don’t explicitly choose a platform image when creating a VM or bare metal instance, OCI will provision it using Oracle Linux 9, ensuring your infrastructure benefits from the latest features, performance improvements, and enhanced security — by default.

Why This Matters

Oracle Linux 9 brings:

• A more secure and stable kernel

• Enhanced performance tuning

• Up-to-date libraries and toolchains

• Better support for cloud-native workloads and containers

This change ensures customers get a modern and optimized base OS without extra configuration — ideal for building scalable apps, running enterprise databases, or deploying AI/ML pipelines.

What You Should Know

• This applies to default provisioning only — you can still manually select OL8 or other images during launch.

• OL9 is binary compatible with RHEL 9, giving you confidence in compatibility and support.