Learning AlmaLinux - Cloud, WSL & Raspberry Pi Images

#Introduction

In the previous episode, Episode 18, we ran containers and VMs on AlmaLinux. Now we take AlmaLinux out into the wider world: cloud, WSL, and ARM. This is where AlmaLinux's "one distro for everywhere" model becomes real — from enterprise cloud instances to a Raspberry Pi on your desk.

This episode guides you through cloud image deployment with cloud-init, AlmaLinux on Windows, and Raspberry Pi images for ARM64 devices.

#AlmaLinux Cloud Images

As we touched on in episode 0, AlmaLinux provides official cloud images at almalinux.org/cloud-images. The main variants:

#Downloading and Preparing GenericCloud

wget https://mirror.almalinux.org/isos/cloud/AlmaLinux-9-GenericCloud-latest.x86_64.qcow2

This image can be imported directly into OpenStack or run on KVM:

sudo virt-install \
  --name cloud1 \
  --vcpus 2 --memory 2048 \
  --disk path=AlmaLinux-9-GenericCloud-latest.x86_64.qcow2 \
  --import \
  --network bridge=br0

The --import option tells virt-install that the disk already contains a system — no installer needed. cloud-init runs the provisioning at first boot.

#cloud-init: Automatic Provisioning

cloud-init is the industry standard for provisioning cloud instances (introduced in episode 3). When an instance first boots, it reads two sources:

• metadata — the instance's identity: hostname, instance ID, network.
• user-data — the configuration instructions you provide: users, SSH keys, packages.

#A Complete user-data Example

#cloud-config
hostname: web01
users:
  - name: devops
    groups: [wheel]
    sudo: ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
    ssh_authorized_keys:
      - ssh-ed25519 AAAA... user@host
package_update: true
packages:
  - htop
  - git
runcmd:
  - systemctl enable --now httpd

The runcmd block runs commands after packages are installed — a "bootstrap" pattern that turns an instance into a ready-to-use service within minutes.

#Interacting with cloud-init

cloud-init status
cloud-init query -n hostname

cloud-init status shows the provisioning phase (running/done); query reads values from the metadata. For debugging, the full log is at /var/log/cloud-init.log.

#Deploying on AWS, Azure, GCP, and OpenStack

#AWS

AlmaLinux is available on the AWS Marketplace or via official AMIs. With the AWS CLI:

aws ec2 describe-images --filters "Name=name,Values=AlmaLinux OS 9.*" --region us-east-1

#Azure and GCP

On Azure, images are available in the marketplace; on GCP, search with gcloud compute images list --filter="family=almalinux". OpenStack uses the direct image import mechanism from the qcow2 file we already downloaded.

The principle is the same on every platform: pick an AlmaLinux image, provide user-data (SSH key + configuration), and the instance is ready to use. That's why mastering cloud-init brings great value — one skill applies to all clouds.

#AlmaLinux on Windows WSL

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) lets you run Linux distros on Windows without a full VM. AlmaLinux is available as an official WSL distribution.

#Installation

wsl --install
wsl --list --online
wsl --install AlmaLinux-9

After import, run it and set up the user:

wsl -d AlmaLinux-9
sudo dnf5 upgrade

#WSL AlmaLinux Use Cases

• A local lab sharing the filesystem with Windows.
• Running Linux tooling (Podman, Ansible, OpenSCAP) without a VM.
• Quick testing of scripts that will later run on production servers.

#Raspberry Pi ARM64 Images

AlmaLinux officially supports Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 with ARM64 images — bringing a RHEL-compatible system to a $35 device.

#Flashing and Booting

sudo dnf5 install -y rpi-imager

Or use the dd tool after downloading the image from the Raspberry Pi page at almalinux.org/cloud-images:

sudo dd if=AlmaLinux-9-rpi-latest.img of=/dev/mmcblk0 bs=4M status=progress

Once the card is ready, put it in the Raspberry Pi, boot, log in as the almalinux user (default password per the documentation), then run sudo dnf5 upgrade and change the password.

#Raspberry Pi AlmaLinux Use Cases

• Home server — Pi-hole DNS, NAS, or a media server with a RHEL-compatible system.
• ARM64 lab — testing ARM containers and edge workloads.
• Edge computing — devices running applications close to the data source.

#ARM Support in AlmaLinux

AlmaLinux's support covers aarch64 (including Raspberry Pi), with special attention to armv7 for older 32-bit devices. For larger ARM servers, aarch64 is fully supported across all releases — including container and Kubernetes workloads.

#Common Pitfalls

1. Forgetting to configure user-data. A cloud instance without an SSH key locks you out. Always set a key in user-data.
2. Using a regular image in the cloud. Use a cloud image — ISO installer images aren't optimized for cloud-init.
3. Ignoring cloud-init status. If provisioning fails, the status and log are the first clue.
4. Using WSL for production testing. WSL differs from a full server — use a VM or VPS for benchmarking.
5. Flashing the image to the wrong SD card. Verify lsblk before dd — a mistake here permanently deletes data.

#Conclusion

In this episode 19 you've taken AlmaLinux to various environments: GenericCloud deployment with cloud-init on AWS, Azure, GCP, and OpenStack, running AlmaLinux on Windows via WSL, and using the ARM64 Raspberry Pi images for edge servers and labs.

Key takeaways:

• GenericCloud is the generic cloud image for OpenStack/KVM; cloud providers have their own variants.
• cloud-init reads metadata and user-data at first boot — the key to deployment without manual SSH.
• cloud-init status and query are provisioning debugging tools.
• WSL runs AlmaLinux on Windows for development; not a production server replacement.
• Raspberry Pi 4/5 is fully supported with ARM64 images — ideal for home servers and edge.
• Download all variants from almalinux.org/cloud-images.

With cloud and edge under control, you're ready for one of the most important topics: migration. In the next episode, Episode 20, we'll cover ELevate & Cross-Version Migration — in-place upgrades between major versions with leapp, converting CentOS to AlmaLinux with almalinux-deploy, and the correct preflight, rollback, and post-migration practices. See you there!