This is a repackaged open source software product wherein additional charges apply for a hardened, minimal AlmaLinux 9.5 image: SELinux enforcing, root login disabled, key-only SSH, audit rules, PAM lockout and sysctl hardening, each verified on a booted instance. 8GB size (no LVM), UEFI/GPT, cloud-init, ENA and NVMe.
This is a repackaged open source software product wherein additional charges apply for a hardened, minimal AlmaLinux 9.5 image built and verified by Rinne Labs.
What you are paying for
AlmaLinux is free and open source software, downloadable at no cost from the AlmaLinux OS Foundation. This listing charges neither for the operating system nor for support.
The charge covers the hardened build: a security baseline applied to the image at build time, an automated assertion suite that proves every control of that baseline is live on a booted instance before the image is published, and continued rebuilds carrying current security updates.
Hardening baseline
Every control below is applied at build time and verified by an automated assertion against a booted instance before publication. The image records the baseline it carries in a versioned marker at /etc/rinne-labs-hardening.
SELinux enforcing, at runtime and persistently across reboots
Root login over SSH disabled
Key-only SSH: password and keyboard-interactive authentication refused
Reduced SSH surface: X11 forwarding off, lowered MaxAuthTries and LoginGraceTime, empty passwords and host-based authentication refused
Kernel network hardening via sysctl, confirmed live in the running kernel
Audit rules loaded in the running kernel, auditd enabled at boot
Account lockout via pam_faillock, with a bounded unlock interval and root exempt
Password quality enforcement via pam_pwquality
A default umask of 027 for login shells
Login banners on console and network logins
The default user's authorized_keys restricted to mode 0600
Key Features
Built from the official AlmaLinux 9.5 ISO, "Minimal Install" package group
8GB root volume, no LVM, for a fast boot and a small storage footprint
UEFI/GPT boot with an XFS root filesystem
cloud-init configured; root partition and filesystem grow to the volume size at first boot
Elastic Network Adapter (ENA) and NVMe drivers present and verified
AWS CLI preinstalled
Distribution security updates applied at build time
Ideal For
Apache HTTP Server and NGINX web and reverse-proxy tiers
PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB and MongoDB database hosts
Jenkins, GitLab CI and self-hosted GitHub Actions runners
Terraform, OpenTofu and Ansible control nodes
Docker and Podman container hosts, and Kubernetes worker nodes
Auto Scaling groups and immutable golden-image fleets
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I connect? SSH in as ec2-user with the key pair you chose at launch: ssh -i your-key.pem ec2-user@your-instance. Password login is disabled and root may not log in over SSH; run sudo -i for a root shell.
Do I need a subscription? No. AlmaLinux is free and open source, and the image updates from the distribution's public repositories.
Who maintains this image, and how often is it rebuilt? Rinne Labs. It is rebuilt as the distribution ships security updates and on each new release, and nothing is published until it passes the full assertion suite on a booted instance.
Why Rinne Labs
Every image comes out of the same reproducible, fully automated build pipeline, starting from the distribution's official ISO. Nothing is hand-edited in.
Every image is validated by an automated assertion suite against a booted instance, covering the hardening baseline, the cloud drivers, the repositories and the applied updates. An image that fails an assertion is not published.
"AlmaLinux" is a trademark of the AlmaLinux OS Foundation. Rinne Labs is an independent publisher, not affiliated with or endorsed by the AlmaLinux OS Foundation. This product repackages free and open source software; all trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
THIS IMAGE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
Hardened at build time and proven on a booted instance before publication: SELinux enforcing, root login over SSH disabled, key-only authentication, a reduced SSH surface, kernel network hardening, audit rules loaded in the running kernel, account lockout and password quality through PAM, a 027 umask and login banners. Every control carries an automated assertion that must pass before the image ships, and the image records its baseline at /etc/rinne-labs-hardening.
Minimal by construction: built from the official AlmaLinux 9.5 ISO using only the "Minimal Install" package group, on an 8GB root volume with no LVM, UEFI/GPT boot and an XFS root filesystem. Fewer packages means a smaller attack surface, quicker launches for auto-scaling groups, and lower EBS cost on every instance you run.
Ready for AWS from first boot: cloud-init expands the root partition and filesystem to the volume size you launch with, the Elastic Network Adapter (ENA) and NVMe drivers are present and verified, and the AWS CLI is preinstalled.
AWS Marketplace now accepts line of credit payments through the PNC Vendor Finance program. This program is available to select AWS customers in the US, excluding NV, NC, ND, TN, & VT.
Try this product free for 14 days according to the free trial terms set by the vendor. Usage-based pricing is in effect for usage beyond the free trial terms. Your free trial gets automatically converted to a paid subscription when the trial ends, but may be canceled any time before that.
Pricing is based on actual usage, with charges varying according to how much you consume. Subscriptions have no end date and may be canceled any time. Alternatively, you can pay upfront for a contract, which typically covers your anticipated usage for the contract duration. Any usage beyond contract will incur additional usage-based costs.
Additional AWS infrastructure costs may apply. Use the AWS Pricing Calculator to estimate your infrastructure costs.
If you are an AWS Free Tier customer with a free plan, you are eligible to subscribe to this offer. You can use free credits to cover the cost of eligible AWS infrastructure. See AWS Free Tier for more details. If you created an AWS account before July 15th, 2025, and qualify for the Legacy AWS Free Tier, Amazon EC2 charges for Micro instances are free for up to 750 hours per month. See Legacy AWS Free Tier for more details.
You pay by the hour for this hardened, minimal AlmaLinux 9.5 image. Each pricing dimension maps to a specific AWS EC2 instance type, from small general-purpose sizes up to large compute, memory, storage, GPU, and bare-metal options. Your rate changes with the instance you choose, so larger or specialized instances carry higher hourly rates. There is no separate tiering or upfront commitment; you are billed only for the hours each instance runs. Pick the instance type that fits your workload, and the hourly software charge follows that selection.
Top-of-mind questions for buyers
What exactly does one hourly unit cover for this AlmaLinux 9.5 image?
Each hourly unit is the software charge for one running EC2 instance of the matching type. You pay this rate for every hour that specific instance runs. The rate reflects the instance size and family you launched. AWS infrastructure charges for the instance and storage are billed separately by AWS.
Am I charged the hourly software fee when my instance is stopped?
The software charge meters running hours only. A stopped instance does not accrue this hourly software fee. You may still owe AWS for attached storage while the instance sits stopped, but that is an AWS charge, not the software rate tied to this image.
Are software updates and security patching included in the hourly rate?
The image ships with security updates available at the release date and keeps repositories configured so the running system can pull updates at no extra software cost. The image uses a minimal installation with SELinux enabled and the root user disabled. Contact the vendor for custom image builds.
www.rinne-labs.com
Helpful?
Vendor refund policy
When paid hourly, the instance can be terminated at anytime to stop incurring charges and no refund is available. For the yearly subscribers, refund can be handled for the unused time.
How can we make this page better?
Tell us how we can improve this page, or report an issue with this product.
Give us feedbackReport a problem with this product or seller
Legal
Vendor terms and conditions
Upon subscribing to this product, you must acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the vendor's End User License Agreement (EULA).
Content disclaimer
Vendors are responsible for their product descriptions and other product content. AWS does not warrant that vendors' product descriptions or other product content are accurate, complete, reliable, current, or error-free.
An AMI is a virtual image that provides the information required to launch an instance. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instances are virtual servers on which you can run your applications and workloads, offering varying combinations of CPU, memory, storage, and networking resources. You can launch as many instances from as many different AMIs as you need.
AWS Support is a one-on-one, fast-response support channel that is staffed 24x7x365 with experienced and technical support engineers. The service helps customers of all sizes and technical abilities to successfully utilize the products and features provided by Amazon Web Services.
This AlmaLinux 9 Minimal image has charges associated with it for security hardening and optimization provided by ProComputers. AlmaLinux 9 Minimal provides a modern, security-focused, and enterprise-aligned Linux foundation engineered for contemporary AWS EC2 environments. Delivered as a minimal build, the image contains only essential system components, allowing teams to design tightly controlled operating system stacks for custom platforms, hardened services, and reproducible infrastructure pipelines. The AlmaLinux9 Minimal AMI enables efficient provisioning, automated initialization through cloud-init, and lifecycle management via official Alma Linux 9 repositories. With ENA networking activated, SELinux enforcing by default, and full compatibility with RHEL 9, this streamlined Alma Linux 9 platform ensures predictable runtime behavior, lower overhead, and operational consistency across development, staging, and production workloads.
AlmaLinux OS is an Open Source and forever-free enterprise Linux distribution, governed and driven by the community, focused on long-term stability and a robust production grade platform. AlmaLinux OS is binary compatible with RHEL®. The AlmaLinux OS Foundation was established as a 501(c)(6) non-profit to steward ownership and governance of the project. The foundation includes over 400 individual members, over 100 Mirror sponsors, and over 25 Corporate sponsors.
This is a repackaged software product wherein additional charges apply for a pre-hardened, SI Core STIG Hardened image and seller support. AlmaLinux 9 offers a robust and secure platform for enterprises seeking a reliable open-source operating system. Designed for compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, AlmaLinux 9 ensures seamless migration and easy integration into existing cloud environments. This AMI provides enhanced security features and compliance with industry standards, making it ideal for organizations that prioritize protection of sensitive data. With AlmaLinux 9, users can efficiently run applications, manage workloads, and scale their infrastructure on AWS EC2, leveraging the benefits of a stable and community-driven ecosystem.
AlmaLinux OS is an open-source, community owned and governed, forever-free enterprise Linux distribution, focused on long-term stability, providing a robust production-grade platform. AlmaLinux OS is binary compatible with RHEL®.
Be the first to review this product. We've partnered with PeerSpot to gather customer feedback. You can share your experience by writing or recording a review, or scheduling a call with a PeerSpot analyst.