Rocky Linux 10 (Red Quartz) – Minimum Hardware Requirements¶
Rocky Linux 10 is designed for enterprise-grade stability with modern hardware compatibility. These minimum specifications apply to minimal server installations. For GUI or production environments, higher specifications are recommended.
✅ Supported CPU Architectures¶
According to the Rocky Linux 10.0 Release Notes, Rocky Linux 10 officially supports the following architectures:
- x86_64-v3 (Intel/AMD 64-bit CPUs with at least Haswell or equivalent AVX support)
- aarch64 (ARMv8-A 64-bit)
- ppc64le (IBM Power, Little Endian)
- s390x (IBM Z mainframes)
- riscv64 (RISC‑V 64-bit)
⚠️ CPU Feature Requirements¶
- x86_64-v3 requires AVX, AVX2, BMI1/2, and FMA, corresponding to Intel Haswell or later, or AMD Excavator or newer.
- Older x86_64 revisions (v1/v2) are not supported unless rebuilt by community SIGs.
🧠 CPU (Processor)¶
- 1 GHz 64-bit (x86_64‑v3) or equivalent for other architectures
- Multi-core CPUs are recommended for server, desktop, or virtualization use
💾 Memory (RAM)¶
- 2 GB minimum (text-mode install)
- 4 GB+ recommended for GUI installs
- 4–8 GB+ for production workloads or virtualization
💽 Storage¶
- 10 GB minimum disk space
- 20 GB+ recommended to accommodate updates, logs, applications
- For GUI: 40 GB+ to ensure sufficient space
🌐 Network¶
- At least one functional Ethernet or wireless network adapter
- Supports DHCP or static IP configuration via NetworkManager
🖥️ Display (for GUI installations)¶
- Minimum 1024×768 resolution via VGA, HDMI, or DisplayPort
- Not required for minimal server installs
📀 Media Access¶
- USB port (for live USB installer) or DVD-ROM drive
- Cloud installs support ISO or PXE-based installations
🔒 Firmware¶
- UEFI or BIOS booting is supported; UEFI recommended
- Secure Boot supported (may require manual key enrollment)
🗃️ Virtualization Support¶
- Virtual environments (KVM, VMware, VirtualBox, Hyper-V) supported
- Guest tools (e.g., open-vm-tools, qemu-guest-agent) recommended for optimized performance
📝 Summary Table¶
| Component | Minimum Requirement |
|---|---|
| CPU | 1 GHz 64-bit (AVX-capable x86_64-v3) or equivalent for ARM/POWER/Z/RISC-V |
| RAM | 1 GB (2 GB for GUI) |
| Disk Space | 10 GB (20 GB+ recommended; 40 GB+ for GUI) |
| Network | Ethernet or wireless adapter |
| Display | 1024×768 capable (only for GUI) |
| Media Access | USB or DVD-ROM |
| Firmware | UEFI/BIOS (UEFI recommended); Secure Boot optional |
🎯 Recommended Specs by Use‑Case¶
🏗️ Minimal Server¶
- CPU: 1 core x86_64-v3 (or ARM/POWER/Z/RISC‑V)
- RAM: 1 GB
- Storage: 10–20 GB
🖥️ Desktop with GUI¶
- CPU: 2+ cores x86_64-v3 (or equivalent)
- RAM: 2–4 GB
- Storage: 20–40 GB
🛠️ Development/Production Server¶
- CPU: 4+ cores
- RAM: 4–8 GB+
- Storage: 40 GB+ (based on workload needs)
🧩 Additional Notes¶
- Always allocate extra storage for logs, package updates, and backups.
- For cloud or virtualization, choose instance types that meet or exceed the above specifications.
- Upgrades from earlier Rocky releases (e.g., 8 or 9) to Rocky 10 aren’t supported—clean installation required.
Last updated: June 2025
Applies to: Rocky Linux 10.0 Initial Release