What’s New in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10: AI, Image Mode, and the Future of Linux

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10 is a major leap forward for enterprise IT. With modern infrastructure demands, hybrid cloud growth, and the emergence of AI and quantum computing, Red Hat has taken a bold approach with RHEL 10—bringing in container-native workflows, generative AI, enhanced security, and intelligent automation.
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If you’re a systems engineer, architect, or infrastructure lead, this release deserves your full attention. Here’s what makes RHEL 10 a milestone in the evolution of enterprise Linux.

Image Mode Goes GA: Container-Native System Management

Image Mode, first introduced as a tech preview in RHEL 9.4, is now generally available (GA) in RHEL 10—and it's one of the most impactful changes in how you build and manage Linux systems.

Rather than managing systems through traditional package-by-package installations, Image Mode enables you to define your entire system declaratively using bootc, similar to how you build Docker containers.

Key Benefits:

• Immutable Infrastructure: System changes only occur when deploying a new image, minimizing drift.
• Fast Rollbacks: If something breaks post-deployment, you simply reboot into the previous working image.
• Declarative Configuration: Build images with exact versions of packages, configuration files, and scripts.
• Cloud + Bare Metal Ready: Deploy images to VMs, cloud instances, or even reinstall on existing servers.
• Compliance at Build Time: Apply hardening profiles like STIG, PCI-DSS, or CIS benchmarks before deployment.

This is especially powerful for teams practicing GitOps, CI/CD, or managing large, distributed fleets of systems across multiple environments.

RHEL Lightspeed: GenAI Comes to the CLI

RHEL 10 introduces Lightspeed, an AI-powered assistant embedded directly in the command line. Built on Red Hat’s extensive knowledge base and backed by GenAI and WatsonX RAG models, Lightspeed provides contextual, real-time help.

​What It Can Do:

• Troubleshooting: Ask why sshd isn't starting, and get step-by-step fixes—including how to check logs and systemd status.
• Log Analysis: Paste in confusing error messages, and get an explanation and remediation suggestions.
• Package Recommendations: Lightspeed offers intelligent suggestions when using Image Builder based on commonly paired packages.
• Scripting Help: Write Bash or systemd unit files with natural language prompts.

This feature helps reduce the Linux skills gap, enabling new admins and hybrid infrastructure teams to operate at expert levels without years of shell experience.

"Use plain language to solve complex problems—right from the CLI."

Lightspeed is optional and must be installed separately. It does not require additional licensing.

Security Gets Post-Quantum and FIPS-Ready

Security is a major focus for RHEL 10, and Red Hat is preparing for the next frontier: quantum computing. RHEL 10 includes the first Linux support for post-quantum encryption algorithms, helping organizations stay ahead of evolving compliance demands.

Included Algorithms:

• ML-KEM (FIPS 203): A key encapsulation mechanism.
• ML-DSA (FIPS 204): A digital signature algorithm.
• Updated OpenSSL: Now capable of supporting post-quantum encryption primitives.

Additionally, RHEL 10 improves on FIPS crypto handling:

• You no longer need to wait for FIPS re-validation when CVEs are patched.
• Secrets and keys can now be stored in Hardware Security Modules (HSMs)—removing them from the OS and reducing your attack surface.

"Prepare today for security mandates that will arrive tomorrow."

Insights and Automation Built-In

Red Hat Insights continues to evolve as a central platform for smart system management. With RHEL 10, it now supports on-premises disconnected mode via Satellite 6.17, giving highly regulated industries access to real-time remediation and drift detection without sending data to the cloud.

New Capabilities:

• Insights Advisor in Satellite: Perform health checks and configuration audits on air-gapped systems.
• AppStream Lifecycle Intelligence: Visualize which packages are nearing end of support.
• Image Builder Integration: Lifecycle-aware image design with support for custom formats, cloud targets, and WSL.
• Domain Join via Insights: Auto-join new systems to Red Hat Identity Management domains via Insights token exchange.

With this shift-left approach, administrators can anticipate issues before deployment and automate the remediation process across both traditional and image-based systems.

Flatpak, IPv6, Podman, and Beyond

RHEL 10 brings continued investment in developer experience, container ecosystems, and scalability.

Ecosystem Enhancements:

• Flatpak Management via Satellite: Simplify desktop app delivery and control application isolation.
• IPv6-Only Satellite Deployments: Run your entire Satellite stack natively on IPv6 networks.
• Podman with Quadlet: Systemd-native support for managing multi-container pods.
• Expanded System Roles: Automate AIDE deployments, systemd-user units, and more.

These updates enhance RHEL’s flexibility in multi-tenant, hybrid, and edge deployments—while maintaining control and observability.

Looking Ahead: RISC-V and MCP Agentic AI

RISC-V Developer Preview:

• RHEL 10 now supports RISC-V as a developer preview, targeting platforms like SiFive HiFive P550.
• This supports an open silicon ecosystem free from traditional licensing models.

Agentic Automation (MCP):

• Red Hat is researching agentic AI management via the MCP protocol, enabling AI models to interact directly with RHEL systems (e.g., initiating reboots, triggering scripts).
• This evolution could unlock self-healing infrastructure, automated tuning, and proactive optimizations.

Final Thoughts

RHEL 10 is not just a new version—it’s a transformation of how enterprise Linux is built, deployed, and managed.
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From immutable infrastructure with Image Mode, to AI-driven CLI assistance, to post-quantum security, Red Hat is delivering the tools enterprises need to modernize, automate, and secure their environments—across cloud, edge, and datacenter.