KVM Repositories and Channels: Yum and ULN

Oracle Linux 9: Yum Repositories and ULN Channels

The following table provides a list of Oracle Linux 9 yum repositories and ULN channels that you can use for KVM deployment.

For more information about how Oracle manages software package distribution, see Oracle Linux: Managing Software on Oracle Linux.

Note:

Unlike Oracle Linux 8, the packages for Oracle Linux 9 aren't released as part of a DNF module.

Table 1-4 Oracle Linux 9: Repository Files and Channel Names

Yum Repositories ULN Channels KVM Stack Virtualization Package

Yum Repositories	ULN Channels	KVM Stack	Virtualization Package
`ol9_appstream`	`ol9_x86_64_appstream` `ol9_aarch64_appstream`	Default KVM Stack	Fully supported across all Oracle Linux kernels. Offer maximum compatibility with RHCK and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
`ol9_kvm_utils`	`ol9_x86_64_kvm_utils` `ol9_aarch64_kvm_utils`	Oracle KVM Stack	Offer newer KVM features and functionality available in upstream packages. Engineered to work with KVM features that are enabled in the latest releases of UEK. If you install these packages, you must also install the latest version of either UEK R7. Note: You must remove all existing virtualization packages before enabling this channel or repository.

ol9_appstream

ol9_x86_64_appstream

ol9_aarch64_appstream

Default KVM Stack

Fully supported across all Oracle Linux kernels.
Offer maximum compatibility with RHCK and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

ol9_kvm_utils

ol9_x86_64_kvm_utils

ol9_aarch64_kvm_utils

Oracle KVM Stack

Offer newer KVM features and functionality available in upstream packages.
Engineered to work with KVM features that are enabled in the latest releases of UEK. If you install these packages, you must also install the latest version of either UEK R7.

Note:

You must remove all existing virtualization packages before enabling this channel or repository.

Special Considerations

Default KVM Stack – Because the Application Stream repository or channel is a system software requirement on Oracle Linux, it's enabled by default on Oracle all Linux 9 systems. Therefore the Default KVM Stack can be installed without changing any repository or channel configuration.
Oracle KVM Stack – For ULN users, subscribe to the virtualization ULN channels after registering the Oracle Linux system with ULN and then install virtualization packages. For yum repository users enable the yum repository and then install virtualization packages. For more details, see Oracle Linux 9: Enable Yum Repositories or Oracle Linux 9: Subscribe to ULN Channels.

Note:
If the system is running UEK, you can choose to switch between stacks. For more details, see Switch KVM Stacks.

Oracle Linux 8: Yum Repositories and ULN Channels

The following table provides a list of Oracle Linux 8 yum repositories and ULN channels that you can use for KVM deployment.

For more information about how Oracle manages software package distribution, see Oracle Linux: Managing Software on Oracle Linux.

Table 1-5 Oracle Linux 8: Repository Files and Channel Names

Yum Repository ULN Channel KVM Stack Package Description

ol8_appstream

Yum Repository	ULN Channel	KVM Stack	Package Description
ol8_appstream	ol8_x86_64_appstream or ol8_aarch64_appstream	Default KVM Stack	Fully supported across all Oracle Linux kernels. Offer maximum compatibility with RHCK and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. These packages are released as part of the default DNF module: `virt`
ol8_kvm_appstream	ol8_x86_64_kvm_appstream or ol8_aarch64_kvm_appstream	Oracle KVM Stack (UEK only)	These packages offer newer KVM features and functionality. Packages are engineered to work with the latest UEK KVM features. To use these features, you must also install the latest versions of UEK R6 or UEK R7. These packages are available as separate DNF module streams: `virt:kvm_utils`, `virt:kvm_utils2`, and `virt:kvm_utils3`. Note: Application streams have separate product support life cycles to the base OS. Use the latest stream available whenever possible. See Oracle Linux: Product Life Cycle Information for more information. Some non-modular packages, such as `virt-manager`, `edk2`, `swtpm` and `libtpms` are also included within this repository or channel.

ol8_x86_64_appstream
or
ol8_aarch64_appstream

Default KVM Stack

Fully supported across all Oracle Linux kernels.
Offer maximum compatibility with RHCK and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
These packages are released as part of the default DNF module: virt

ol8_kvm_appstream

ol8_x86_64_kvm_appstream
or
ol8_aarch64_kvm_appstream

Oracle KVM Stack (UEK only)

These packages offer newer KVM features and functionality.
Packages are engineered to work with the latest UEK KVM features. To use these features, you must also install the latest versions of UEK R6 or UEK R7.
These packages are available as separate DNF module streams: virt:kvm_utils, virt:kvm_utils2, and virt:kvm_utils3.
Note: Application streams have separate product support life cycles to the base OS. Use the latest stream available whenever possible. See Oracle Linux: Product Life Cycle Information for more information.

Some non-modular packages, such as virt-manager, edk2, swtpm and libtpms are also included within this repository or channel.

Special Considerations

Default KVM Stack – Because the Application Stream repository or channel is a system software requirement on Oracle Linux, it's enabled by default on Oracle all Linux 8 systems. Therefore the Default KVM Stack can be installed without changing any repository or channel configuration.
Oracle KVM Stacks – For ULN users, subscribe to the virtualization ULN channels after registering the Oracle Linux system with ULN and then install virtualization packages. For yum repository users, enable the yum repository and then install virtualization packages. For more details, see Oracle Linux 8: Enable Yum Repositories or Oracle Linux 8: Subscribe to ULN Channels.
Note:
If the system is running UEK, you can choose to switch between stacks. For more details, see Switch KVM Stacks.

Oracle Linux 7: Yum Repositories and ULN Channels

WARNING:

Oracle Linux 7 is now in Extended Support. See Oracle Linux Extended Support and Oracle Open Source Support Policies for more information.

Migrate applications and data to Oracle Linux 8 or Oracle Linux 9 as soon as possible.

The following tables provide a list of Oracle Linux 7 Yum repositories and ULN channels that you can use for KVM deployment.

Note:

Because of the availability of different kernel versions and the requirement for more updated versions of user space tools, several different versions of Yum repositories and ULN channels are available for use. Packages for each channel have different use cases and different levels of support.

Table 1-6 Oracle Linux 7 x86_64 Platforms: YUM Repository Files and ULN Channel Names

Yum Repository ULN Channel KVM Stack Description

Yum Repository	ULN Channel	KVM Stack	Description
`ol7_latest`	`ol7_x86_64_latest`	Default KVM Stack	These packages include the Default KVM Stack which maximize compatibility with Red Hat Compatible Kernel (RHCK) and with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Fully supported on all Linux kernels.
`ol7_kvm_utils`	`ol7_x86_64_kvm_utils`	Oracle KVM Stack Requires UEK	These packages take advantage of newer features and functionality available in upstream sources. The packages are engineered to work with Oracle KVM Stack features that are enabled in the latest releases of UEK. If you install these packages, you must also install the latest version of UEK R4 or UEK R5. Note – The `ol7_kvm_utils` and `ol7_x86_64_kvm_utils` channels distribute 64-bit packages only. If you manually installed any 32-bit packages, for example, `libvirt-client`, Yum updates from these channels will fail. To use the `ol7_kvm_utils` and `ol7_x86_64_kvm_utils` channels, you must first remove any 32-bit versions of the packages distributed by these channels that are installed on the system. You can choose to configure on-premises virtualization the same way that you configure systems on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure or other Oracle products that use KVM. Oracle Linux provides specific virtualization packages in this channel to assist with the configuration. Limited support coverage is only available for KVM packages tested on Oracle Linux 7 with UEK. The following limitations and requirements apply: A minimum of Oracle Linux 7.4 is required. A minimum of Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 4 is required. Guest operating system images, as supported Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and described at https://docs.oracle.com/iaas/Content/Compute/References/images.htm. KVM guests boot by using iSCSI, VirtIO, VirtIO-SCSI or IDE device emulation.
`ol7_developer` `ol7_developer_kvm_utils`	`ol7_x86_64_developer` `ol7_x86_64_developer_kvm_utils`	Oracle Developer KVM Stack Requires UEK	These developer packages take advantage of newer features and functionality that's available upstream source repository. However, these packages are unsupported and available for developer use only. Note – If you're using the Oracle Linux YUM server, you can configure these repositories by installing the `oraclelinux-developer-release-el7` package and then enabling these repositories by editing the repository files or by using `yum-config-manager`.

ol7_latest

ol7_x86_64_latest

Default KVM Stack

These packages include the Default KVM Stack which maximize compatibility with Red Hat Compatible Kernel (RHCK) and with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Fully supported on all Linux kernels.

ol7_kvm_utils

ol7_x86_64_kvm_utils

Oracle KVM Stack

Requires UEK

These packages take advantage of newer features and functionality available in upstream sources. The packages are engineered to work with Oracle KVM Stack features that are enabled in the latest releases of UEK. If you install these packages, you must also install the latest version of UEK R4 or UEK R5.

Note – The ol7_kvm_utils and ol7_x86_64_kvm_utils channels distribute 64-bit packages only. If you manually installed any 32-bit packages, for example, libvirt-client, Yum updates from these channels will fail. To use the ol7_kvm_utils and ol7_x86_64_kvm_utils channels, you must first remove any 32-bit versions of the packages distributed by these channels that are installed on the system.

You can choose to configure on-premises virtualization the same way that you configure systems on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure or other Oracle products that use KVM. Oracle Linux provides specific virtualization packages in this channel to assist with the configuration.

Limited support coverage is only available for KVM packages tested on Oracle Linux 7 with UEK. The following limitations and requirements apply:

A minimum of Oracle Linux 7.4 is required.
A minimum of Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 4 is required.
Guest operating system images, as supported Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and described at https://docs.oracle.com/iaas/Content/Compute/References/images.htm.
KVM guests boot by using iSCSI, VirtIO, VirtIO-SCSI or IDE device emulation.

ol7_developer ol7_developer_kvm_utils

ol7_x86_64_developer ol7_x86_64_developer_kvm_utils

Oracle Developer KVM Stack

Requires UEK

These developer packages take advantage of newer features and functionality that's available upstream source repository. However, these packages are unsupported and available for developer use only.

Note – If you're using the Oracle Linux YUM server, you can configure these repositories by installing the oraclelinux-developer-release-el7 package and then enabling these repositories by editing the repository files or by using yum-config-manager.

Table 1-7 Oracle Linux 8 64-bit Arm Platforms: Yum Repository Files and ULN Channel Names

Yum Repository File	ULN Channel Name	Virtualization Packages Included
`ol7_latest`	`ol7_aarch64_latest`	Includes the latest virtualization packages that are available and fully supported on Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 5. The Arm platform runs only with Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release (UEK). These virtualization packages, in this case, are available for developer use only.
`ol7_developer`	`ol7_aarch64_developer`	These packages take advantage of newer features and functionality that are available upstream, but are made available for developer use only. The Arm platform runs only with Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release (UEK). The virtualization packages that are part of this repository or channel are available for developer use only.

Important Usage Note:

Virtualization Developer Packages – The virtualization developer versions ol7_developer_EPEL and ol7_aarch64_developer) are for developer use only. These packages contain untested virtualization features that might conflict with other virtualization packages. If you don't intend to use the developer virtualization packages, we recommend that you uninstall these packages on the system or exclude them from being installed.