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Amazon AppStream 2.0 will end support for Amazon Linux 2 on April 15, 2026.
AppStream 2.0 first launched support for Amazon Linux 2 in November 2021. Since then, AppStream 2.0 capabilities have been enhanced by introducing support for two newer Linux distributions: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 8 [1], launched in July 2024, and Rocky Linux 8 from CIQ [2], launched in December 2024.
Existing users of Amazon Linux 2 on Always-On and On-Demand fleets are advised to begin planning the migration of their workloads to either the RHEL 8 or Rocky Linux 8 operating systems. If you are using Amazon Linux 2 on Elastic fleets, please wait for new updates from us regarding your migration path in a few weeks.
You can find a list of your affected resources in the "Affected Resources" tab of your AWS Health Dashboard.
For any questions or clarifications, please reach out to the AWS support team [3].
Q1. How does the migration affect me? Until April 15, 2026, you can keep using your existing Amazon Linux 2 fleets and Image builders. After April 15, 2026, any remaining Amazon Linux 2 resources will not receive any updates or bug fixes, and the security of Amazon Linux 2 fleets and Image builders will not be guaranteed as AWS can no longer provide any security updates. After April 15, 2026, you may continue to use your existing Amazon Linux 2 fleets and Image builders, however, public Amazon Linux 2 images on AppStream 2.0 will not be available to create new resources.
Q2. What are the recommended replacements? Images based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and Rocky Linux 8 are the recommended replacement for Amazon Linux 2 images.
Q3. What actions should I take? We recommend you begin migration of your existing AL2 fleets, Images and Image builders to either Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 or Rocky Linux 8 in-time for the April 15, 2026, end-of-life timeline. Here are some of the recommended steps:
- Create a new Image Builder using the new operating system you have chosen
- Customize your image using the new image builder
- Validate all your applications are working fine with the new operating system
- In case of any driver or agent mismatch, reach out to AWS support.
- After the successful validation with Image builder, validate your new image with the AppStream fleet.
- Once successful, spin a fleet with the new image and preferred instance type
- Slowly migrate your users from older AL2 fleets to the new fleet before April 15, 2026.
Q4. Do I still get full support for Amazon Linux 2 between the announcement date and the End of Support date? We will continue to provide support for customers running existing workloads on Amazon Linux 2 and to help them migrate their workloads to either Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 or Rocky Linux 8.
Q5. What happens if I do not migrate my Amazon Linux 2 workloads by April 15, 2026? Your Amazon Linux 2 fleets and image builders will continue to run. However, as the underlying operating system (Amazon Linux 2) reaches end of life, we will be limited in our ability to provide you any support or security fixes, and you may not be able to provision new Amazon Linux 2 resources. Our ability to troubleshoot any operating system or driver issues will also be limited. To ensure your business continuity, we strongly recommend that all customers using Amazon Linux 2 migrate their workloads to other supported Linux distributions before April 15, 2026.
Q6. Does AWS plan to retire other operating systems? At this time, there are no plans to retire other operating systems. However, vendors keep deprecating older operating systems versions and introduce new ones. We will notify you if we are planning to retire any other operating system.
Q7. Where can I get help? We are here to help you with these actions. Please reach out via to the AWS support team [3] if you need technical support migrating. You can also contact your account manager for assistance.
[1] https://access.redhat.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux [2] https://ciq.com/products/rocky-linux/ [3] https://aws.amazon.com/support
The future of Linux support for AppStream Elastic Fleets is evolving in light of the upcoming Amazon Linux 2 (AL2) end-of-life (EOL) date. While AL2 is currently the only Linux distribution available for Elastic Fleets, AWS is aware of the need to provide alternatives.
Amazon Linux 2 will reach its end-of-support date on June 30, 2026. However, for AppStream specifically, support for AL2 will end on April 15, 2026. This earlier date for AppStream is likely to ensure a smooth transition before the general AL2 EOL.
As of now, AWS has not publicly announced a specific timeline or roadmap for supporting other Linux distributions on AppStream Elastic Fleets. However, given the importance of Linux in cloud environments and AWS's commitment to providing up-to-date solutions, it's reasonable to expect that alternatives will be introduced before the AL2 EOL date.
In the meantime, customers have a few options to consider:
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Continue using AL2-based Elastic Fleets: You can still use AL2 for Elastic Fleets until the support ends in April 2026. However, be aware that you'll need to plan for a migration before that date.
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Use Windows-based Elastic Fleets: As you mentioned, Windows has enjoyed better AppStream support. For new Elastic Fleets that need to be deployed immediately and maintained beyond 2026, using Windows could be a viable option.
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Monitor AWS announcements: Keep an eye out for updates from AWS regarding new Linux distribution support for AppStream Elastic Fleets. It's likely that AWS will introduce support for Amazon Linux 2023 (AL2023) or other modern Linux distributions before the AL2 EOL date.
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Engage with AWS Support: If your use case specifically requires Linux-based Elastic Fleets, consider reaching out to AWS Support or your account representative to discuss your needs and get more specific guidance on future plans.
While the current situation may cause some uncertainty, AWS typically provides ample time and resources for customers to transition to new solutions. It's advisable to start planning for the eventual migration away from AL2-based Elastic Fleets, but there's no need for immediate alarm given the 2026 end-of-support date.
Sources
Guide to EKS AL2 & AL2-Accelerated AMIs transition features - Amazon EKS
Additional Resources - Amazon AppStream 2.0
AL2 on Amazon EC2 - Amazon Linux 2
