Abstrax 2.0: RHEL family support is here
Mike
Abstrax 2.0 is out, and the headline is a big one: the CLI now supports the RHEL family of Linux distributions.
When Abstrax launched, it targeted Debian and Ubuntu based servers. That covered a lot of day to day hosting, but plenty of people run Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, and other RHEL-compatible systems for production work. Version 2 is about meeting them where they already are.
Official support covers Rocky Linux 9+ and AlmaLinux 9+. Experimental support is available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS Stream, and Oracle Linux 9+.
Same commands, more platforms
The goal has not changed. Abstrax is still a free, open source Linux server admin CLI for everyday tasks: users, packages, services, firewall rules, web projects, certificates, databases, and the rest of the routine work that keeps a server useful.
What changes in 2.0 is how far that interface reaches.
On Debian-family hosts, Abstrax continues to use apt, UFW, and the familiar nginx sites layout. On RHEL-family hosts, it switches to dnf, firewalld, and the nginx conf.d conventions those systems expect. You still run the same memorable commands. Abstrax handles the platform differences underneath.
That means managing a Rocky or Alma server should feel like managing an Ubuntu one, without needing a second mental model for package managers, firewall tools, or web server layout.
Built for real RHEL-family servers
RHEL-compatible systems bring their own landscape: Remi for multi-version PHP, EPEL and CRB for common packages, firewalld for network rules, and SELinux in the mix.
Abstrax 2.0 is aware of that environment. It detects the distro family from /etc/os-release, reports the support level in abstrax doctor, and adapts installs and workflows accordingly. Repository helpers make enabling EPEL, CRB, and Remi explicit when they are needed. SELinux enforcing mode is surfaced in doctor and project flows. Abstrax never disables SELinux.
The point is practical server management that respects how these distributions are meant to be run.
Who this is for
If you already use Abstrax on Debian or Ubuntu, upgrade and keep going. Your existing commands stay the same.
If you manage Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, or other RHEL-family hosts and have been waiting for a clearer day to day admin CLI, this release is for you. Install the binary, run abstrax doctor, and start with the same command groups you would use anywhere else.
Abstrax is not trying to replace Ansible, Terraform, or a full platform engineering stack. It is for the work in between: the SSH session tasks, the one-off fixes, the small product servers, and the consistent interface you reach for when you do not want to look up syntax again.
Try Abstrax 2.0
Install or update with the getting started guide, check supported platforms for the full matrix, and browse the command reference when you need the details.
Source and release binaries are on GitHub.
Debian and Ubuntu were the starting point. With Abstrax 2.0, Rocky, Alma, and the wider RHEL family are part of the story too. Same CLI. More servers you can manage with it.