Adaptable Linux Platform (ALP) May Replace openSUSE Leap

Lubos Kocman from the openSUSE release team hints in a recent email that Adaptable Linux Platform (ALP) May Replace openSUSE Leap soon.

The openSUSE Leap is the “long-term support” variant of the openSUSE Linux Distribution and the “Tumbleweed” is the rolling-release distribution. Recently the team released the openSUSE 15.4, which is much more significant in features and enhancements.

From the email, it is evident that the next instalment openSUSE 15.5 would be a smaller “maintenance” release and may contain only the bug fixes.

“SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 is using the tick-tock model, where 15 SP4 would be the feature release while 15 SP5 would be more of a bug fix or perhaps it better to say maintenance release” says Lubos Kocman.

Moreover, the openSUSE Leap 15.5 would be binary compatible with the SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 SP5.

He also adds that the development resources now target the development of the Adaptable Linux Platform (ALP) and asks about the community feedback on the next and final openSUSE 15.5 roadmaps.

He continues to add, “We are in a bit different situation now, as the parallel development of the “Adaptable Linux Platform” is happening publicly in OBS, and neither community nor SUSE has unlimited resources. As the plan is that the next Community/Enterprise distribution (Leap) will be ALP itself (as it will be developed open) or closely based on ALP I believe it makes sense to steer community effort there as it pays off in the long run.”

Adaptable Linux Platform – ALP

So, what is ALP?

In April 2022 – the openSUSE team announced that the next generation openSUSE Enterprise System would be the “Adaptable Linux Platform”, aka ALP. There is not much information available in the announcements. However, it looks like ALP will be split into two parts.

Firstly, one part may work as a “host OS”, which only gives you hardware support. Secondly, the next module or section of the ALP would be a user layer which supports the applications and packages (for example Flatpak). The second layer may act as a container system.

“Another important point is that we intend to split what was a more generic, everything is closely intertwined into two parts: One smaller hardware enabling piece, a kind of “host OS”, and the and the layer providing and supporting applications, which will be a container (and VM) based,” adds Stefan Behlert in the email.

You might be wondering if the architecture may look similar to the Fedora Silverblue, or Valve’s Steam OS which gives an immutable operating system to the users.

Besides, the ALP also expects to replace SUSE Linux enterprise. I am curious how these will all pan out in the future, considering the enterprise needs are entirely different from the average user’s.

As the team progresses towards the openSUSE Leap 15.5, due in mid-2023, more information will be available on the ALP.