Alpine Linux 3.21 released with Linux 6.12 stable kernel and initial LoongArch64 support

Alpine Linux has launched version 3.21, bringing a range of enhancements, updated software, and fixes to this security-oriented Linux distribution. This release is built on the Linux 6.12 stable kernel and includes updates to several key software packages. Notable updates include GCC 14, LLVM 19, Node.js 22.11 LTS, Rust 1.83, Crystal 1.14, Go 1.23, PHP 8.4, Qt 6.8, and .NET 9.0. Desktop environments have also been refreshed with GNOME 47, KDE Plasma 6.2, LXQt 2.1, and Sway 1.10.

Alpine 3.21 introduces initial support for the LoongArch64 architecture. The linux-firmware package is now compressed using Zstandard (Zstd), requiring users with custom-built kernels to include the CONFIG_FW_LOADER_COMPRESS_ZSTD=y option. Additionally, configurations with / and /usr on separate filesystems are no longer supported. The update process also includes an automatic restart of the OpenSSH service to maintain connection capabilities.