CentOS Stream 9 on Microsoft Azure

Deploy CentOS Stream 9 on Azure Virtual Machines with this lightweight, continuously delivered, and RHEL-upstream image. Packaged and maintained by ProComputers, it is optimized for cloud-init automation, fast boot, and development or pre-production workloads — the perfect choice for users who need early access to features before they appear in Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Key Features of CentOS Stream 9 in Azure

• Cloud-init enabled: CentOS Stream 9 automates provisioning and configuration, enabling faster, consistent, and scalable Azure VM deployments.
• Optimized for fast boot: Workloads on Azure Managed Disks start quickly, with a CentOS Stream 9 image tuned for performance and responsiveness.
• Secure by default: SELinux policies enforced and SSH hardened in CentOS Stream 9 reduce attack surfaces, improving Azure cloud security posture.
• Accelerated Networking: Azure applications benefit from low latency and high throughput when deployed with CentOS Stream 9 virtual machines.

Benefits of Using CentOS Stream 9 on Azure Cloud

• Future-ready development: Developers gain early access to upcoming RHEL features by working with CentOS Stream 9 on Microsoft Azure VMs.
• Rolling-release lifecycle: Frequent updates in CentOS Stream 9 provide a modern, agile Linux base, perfect for CI/CD pipelines and DevOps teams.
• Community-driven distribution: Built by the CentOS and Red Hat communities, CentOS Stream 9 ensures open collaboration, trust, and transparency.
• Lightweight and efficient: CentOS Stream 9 delivers minimal overhead, faster boot times, and efficient resource usage in dev and test workloads.

Use Cases for CentOS Stream 9 on Azure VM

• Develop and test apps: Teams can validate software against future RHEL releases using CentOS Stream 9 as an upstream Azure environment.
• Build CI/CD pipelines: Automate validation with Ansible, Terraform, or Jenkins, running workloads directly on CentOS Stream 9 in Azure.
• Run container workloads: Deploy Kubernetes and OpenShift clusters with CentOS Stream 9 as a flexible, rolling-release Linux foundation.
• Experiment with new features: Test innovations from the Linux ecosystem early on CentOS Stream 9 before they are production-hardened in RHEL.

Frequently Asked Questions for this CentOS Stream 9 image

1. Is CentOS Stream 9 RHEL-compatible? It is upstream of RHEL 9. It provides a rolling preview of the next RHEL minor release. While closely aligned, it is not bug-for-bug identical with RHEL.
2. Can I use it for production? Best suited for development, testing, and pre-production. For stable, long-term support in production, consider Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, or RHEL itself.
3. Who maintains this image? This CentOS Stream 9 VM image is packaged and maintained by ProComputers, ensuring quality, reliability, and ongoing updates for Azure users.

Why Choose ProComputers Packaged Images?

With over a decade of Microsoft Azure expertise, ProComputers delivers secure, optimized, cloud-ready Linux VM images — including this CentOS Stream 9 on Azure VM. Each virtual machine image is minimal, hardened, and engineered for fast performance and enterprise-grade flexibility.

Explore our other Azure Marketplace VM images

• Oracle Linux 8
• Oracle Linux 9
• RHEL 8
• RHEL 9
• AlmaLinux 8
• AlmaLinux 9
• Rocky Linux 8
• Rocky Linux 9
• CentOS Stream 9
• CentOS Stream 10

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