Alpine Linux 3.24.1
Alpine Linux is a security-oriented, lightweight distribution built on musl libc and BusyBox, widely used as the base image for containers and minimal server deployments.
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Alpine Linux 3.24.1 is a maintenance release in the 3.24 branch, carrying security and bug fixes across the package repository. Alpine’s entire footprint, musl libc instead of glibc, BusyBox instead of GNU coreutils, and OpenRC instead of systemd, keeps base installs and container images extremely small, typically a few megabytes for the container variant.
Why It’s Everywhere
Alpine is the default base image for a huge share of official Docker Hub images specifically because of its size: a minimal Alpine container image is roughly 5MB versus hundreds of megabytes for a typical Ubuntu or Debian base. That size advantage, combined with apk, Alpine’s fast package manager, makes it the default choice for CI pipelines and microservice containers.
System Requirements
- CPU: Any x86_64 processor
- RAM: 128 MB minimum for a minimal install (more for desktop use via the Xfce variant)
- Storage: under 1 GB for a base install
musl libc Compatibility Note
Because Alpine uses musl instead of glibc, some prebuilt binaries compiled against glibc will not run without additional compatibility layers. This is the most common surprise for users moving from a glibc-based distribution.
Verify Your Download
SHA256 checksums and signatures are published at alpinelinux.org/downloads.