# Unoffical Guide to Amazon Linux 2023

## Amazon Linux 2023 Resources

- https://aws.amazon.com/linux/amazon-linux-2023/faqs/
- https://github.com/amazonlinux/amazon-linux-2023/
- https://cdn.amazonlinux.com/al2023/os-images/latest/
- https://alas.aws.amazon.com/alas2023.html
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/linux/al2023/
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/linux/al2023/release-notes/relnotes.html
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/linux/al2023/ug/deterministic-upgrades.html
- [Manage package and operating system updates in AL2023](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/linux/al2023/ug/managing-repos-os-updates.html)
- https://lwn.net/Articles/926352/

## Overview of Updating Amazon Linux 2023

### AL2023 Repository Details

```
# cdn.amazonlinux.com (x86_64)
https://cdn.amazonlinux.com/al2023/core/mirrors/latest/x86_64/mirror.list
https://cdn.amazonlinux.com/al2023/core/guids/<guid>/x86_64/

# cdn.amazonlinux.com (aarch64)
https://cdn.amazonlinux.com/al2023/core/mirrors/latest/aarch64/mirror.list
https://cdn.amazonlinux.com/al2023/core/guids/<guid>/aarch64/

# al2023-repos-us-east-1-<guid>.s3.dualstack.<region>.amazonaws.com
https://al2023-repos-<region>-<guid>.s3.dualstack.<region>.amazonaws.com/core/mirrors/<releasever>/x86_64/mirror.list
https://al2023-repos-<region>-<guid>.s3.dualstack.<region>.amazonaws.com/core/guids/<guid>/x86_64/<rest_of_url>
https://al2023-repos-<region>-<guid>.s3.dualstack.<region>.amazonaws.com/core/mirrors/<releasever>/SRPMS/mirror.list
https://al2023-repos-<region>-<guid>.s3.dualstack.<region>.amazonaws.com/kernel-livepatch/mirrors/al2023/x86_64/mirror.list
```

### Checking for new releases / updates

Get the hosts current Amazon Linux 2023 release:

```shell
rpm -q system-release --qf "%{VERSION}\n"
```

OR

```
cat /etc/amazon-linux-release
```

To find out the LATEST SYSTEM RELEASE of Amazon Linux 2023:

```shell
# You can use the following command to get more verbose output
sudo dnf check-release-update --refresh --latest-only --version-only
#sudo dnf check-release-update
```

To upgrade the Amazon Linux 2023 based host for the CURRENT SYSTEM RELEASE i.e. (`cat /etc/amazon-linux-release`):

```shell
sudo dnf check-update --refresh
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh
```

To upgrade the Amazon Linux 2023 based host to a SPECIFIC SYSTEM RELEASE:

```shell
sudo dnf check-update --refresh --releasever=2023.5.20240722
sudo dnf update --refresh --releasever=2023.5.20240722
```

To upgrade the Amazon Linux 2023 based host to the LATEST SYSTEM RELEASE:

```shell
sudo dnf check-update --refresh --releasever=latest
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh --releasever=latest
```

Note: Using `sudo dnf upgrade --releasever=latest` updates all packages, including system-release. Then, the version remains locked to the new system-release unless you set the persistent override.

To permanently switch the host to always get the latest system release updates:

```shell
# This command only needs to be run once
sudo touch /etc/dnf/vars/releasever && echo 'latest' | sudo tee /etc/dnf/vars/releasever
```

Then it's just a matter of running the following commands to update via `latest`:

```shell
sudo dnf check-update --refresh
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh
```

To get more details about the current repos:

```shell
dnf repoinfo
dnf repolist all --verbose
```