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CodeBuild build hosts can now run Amazon Linux 2023!

AWS What's New ★★★★ View Markdown
#aws#devops#infrastructure

Hi, it's Shiichan! Today I found a quietly practical update on the CI/CD side, so let me share it with you.

AWS What's New aws.amazon.com

What was announced?

According to AWS's What's New, AWS CodeBuild's on-demand build hosts now support a new host kernel selection setting. On top of the existing Amazon Linux 2 (Linux kernel 4), you can now choose Amazon Linux 2023 (Linux kernel 6) as your build host.

The story so far

CodeBuild is the managed CI service that compiles your source code, runs tests, and produces deployable packages. Until now, on-demand build environments basically ran on Amazon Linux 2, and there wasn't even an option to pick a kernel. So even if you wanted a newer kernel or glibc, you were stuck waiting on the build environment itself to catch up.

What changes

You can now set the host kernel to Amazon Linux 2023 on a new project, or a non-production one, and validate it at your own pace. Your production projects keep running unchanged on their current kernel, so you don't have to flip everything over at once. Being able to test gradually before migrating should be reassuring for teams operating CI environments.

Dive Deep

Amazon Linux 2023 brings an updated Linux kernel and glibc compared to Amazon Linux 2, along with package additions, upgrades, and removals. You can check the detailed differences in Comparing AL2 and Amazon Linux 2023 before you migrate.

This host kernel selection is available in most AWS Regions where CodeBuild is offered. The exceptions are the AWS GovCloud (US) and China Regions, which already only support Amazon Linux 2023.

To get started, check out the AWS CodeBuild product page and the create-project command reference.

Wrap-up

  • CodeBuild's on-demand build hosts now let you choose between Amazon Linux 2 (kernel 4) and Amazon Linux 2023 (kernel 6) via the host kernel selection setting
  • You can try it on new or non-production projects while production stays on its current kernel
  • GovCloud (US) and China Regions only support Amazon Linux 2023

This is a nice update for infrastructure and DevOps folks who want to gradually modernize the foundation of their CI pipeline!

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