Rocky Linux 9.8

Why the cloudimg image

The cloudimg image is a minimal Rocky Linux 9.8 base brought fully up to date at build time, with SELinux left enforcing both at runtime and across reboots, and the root password locked. No credential is baked in: access is by the SSH key you choose at launch, and SSH host keys plus the machine id are generated per machine, so no two instances share an identity. Unattended updates are armed and proven, rather than merely configured, so the machine keeps patching itself. SSH on 22 is the only externally reachable port. BaseOS, AppStream and Extras stay enabled with signature checking on, and 24/7 support is included.