Fedora Atomic 29

Basic Information

Red Hat Fedora Atomic 29, also known as Fedora Atomic Host 29, is a specialized, lightweight, and immutable operating system designed specifically for running containerized applications. It represents the final major release in the Fedora Atomic Host series, succeeded by Fedora CoreOS.

• Model: Fedora Atomic Host
• Version: 29
• Release Date: October 30, 2018.
• Minimum Requirements:
  • Processor: 1 GHz or faster (general Fedora 29 minimum).
  • RAM: 1 GB system memory (general Fedora 29 minimum); 2 GB for Anaconda-based installations.
  • Storage: 10 GB unallocated drive space (general Fedora 29 minimum).
• Supported Operating Systems: Fedora Atomic Host 29 is an operating system itself.
• Latest Stable Version: Fedora Atomic Host 29.
• End of Support Date: November or December 2019.
• End of Life Date: November or December 2019.
• Auto-update Expiration Date: Updates ceased in November or December 2019.
• License Type: Open Source.
• Deployment Model: Bare metal, virtual environments (Hyper-V, VirtualBox, KVM, libvirt), and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, OpenStack).

Technical Requirements

Fedora Atomic Host 29 is engineered for efficiency, providing a minimal footprint for container workloads.

• RAM: Minimum 1 GB for general Fedora 29, with 2 GB recommended for installation via Anaconda. For advanced operations like root filesystem reprovisioning, 4 GB is necessary.
• Processor: A 1 GHz or faster processor is the minimum, with a 2 GHz dual-core or faster processor recommended for optimal performance. It supports x86_64, AArch64 (ARMv7 and ARM64), and s390x architectures.
• Storage: A minimum of 10 GB of unallocated drive space is required. The root filesystem typically requires at least 8 GB. Cloud images often start with 6 GB. Storage management utilizes LVM, dedicating most available space to containers.
• Display: A minimum resolution of 800x600 is required for graphical installations. Text or VNC installations are available for devices with lower resolutions.
• Ports: Standard network connectivity is assumed for container operations, updates, and remote management.
• Operating System: Fedora Atomic Host 29 is a Linux-based operating system.

Analysis of Technical Requirements: Fedora Atomic Host 29's technical requirements are modest, reflecting its design as a lightweight host for containers. While it can operate on minimal resources, practical deployments benefit from increased RAM and processor power, especially when running multiple or demanding containerized applications. Its broad architectural support makes it adaptable to various hardware and cloud environments.

Support & Compatibility

Fedora Atomic Host 29 offered robust support and compatibility during its active lifecycle, but it is now End of Life.

• Latest Version: Fedora Atomic Host 29 is the final release in its series.
• OS Support: It is a Linux-based operating system.
• End of Support Date: November or December 2019.
• Localization: Fedora distributions generally support various localizations.
• Available Drivers: Leverages the Linux kernel (version 4.18 series) for extensive hardware support. Includes ZRAM support for ARMv7 and AArch64, enhancing performance on single-board computers.
• Compatibility: Compatible with container technologies such as Docker, Podman, OCI containers, and runc. It integrates with container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes and OpenShift Origin, though older versions may require specific configuration adjustments (e.g., cgroupdriver settings). It supports deployment on various cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, OpenStack) and hypervisors (Hyper-V, libvirt, VirtualBox, VMware).

Analysis of Overall Support & Compatibility Status: During its supported period, Fedora Atomic Host 29 was a highly compatible platform for containerized workloads across diverse environments. However, as it reached End of Life in late 2019, it no longer receives official updates or security patches. Users are strongly advised to migrate to its successor, Fedora CoreOS, for continued support, security, and access to new features.

Security Status

Fedora Atomic Host 29 incorporated several security features inherent to its design, but its End of Life status significantly impacts its current security posture.

• Security Features:
  • Immutable Platform: The base operating system is read-only, which enhances security by preventing unauthorized modifications and reducing the attack surface.
  • Atomic Upgrades: Updates are applied transactionally, ensuring system integrity and preventing partial or broken states that could introduce vulnerabilities.
  • SELinux: Provides mandatory access control (MAC) for strong safeguards, particularly in multi-tenant container environments.
  • Firewall: iptables services are available, though iptables is disabled by default.
  • Modularity: Allows for flexible management of software versions, enabling users to maintain stable and secure application stacks.
  • Encryption Support: Supports disk encryption (LUKS) for the root filesystem, with options for TPM2 and Tang pinning.
• Known Vulnerabilities: As a Fedora 29 variant, it is susceptible to general Fedora 29 vulnerabilities, including those related to atomic-reactor, libdnf, libxml2, samba, xorg-x11-server, cifs-utils, libtpms, ceph, binutils, dnsmasq, Nettle, containers/storage, NTFS-3G, libssh, Linux kernel netfilter, and libspf2.
• Blacklist Status: No general blacklist status is indicated.
• Certifications: Specific security certifications are not explicitly detailed for Fedora Atomic Host 29.
• Authentication Methods:
  • Cloud-init: For initial user configuration, including default user passwords.
  • SSSD (System Security Services Daemon): Supports external identity management systems such as FreeIPA/IdM, Active Directory, and generic LDAP servers.
  • Kerberos: Supported via SSSD for robust network authentication.
  • Host-based Authentication: Utilizes Access Control Lists (ACLs) based on IP addresses or hostnames.
  • TLS: Recommended for securing communications over untrusted networks.
• General Recommendations: During its lifecycle, recommendations included keeping the system updated, utilizing SELinux, configuring strong authentication, and employing disk encryption.

Analysis on Overall Security Rating: During its active support period, Fedora Atomic Host 29 provided a strong security foundation through its immutable architecture, atomic updates, and integration of robust Linux security features like SELinux. However, its End of Life status means it no longer receives critical security updates, making it highly vulnerable to new exploits. Therefore, its current security rating is critically low for any production or sensitive environment. Immediate migration to a currently supported and actively maintained platform like Fedora CoreOS is imperative.

Performance & Benchmarks

Fedora Atomic Host 29's performance is characterized by its minimal design and optimization for container workloads.

• Benchmark Scores: Specific benchmark scores for Fedora Atomic Host 29 are not widely published. Performance is highly dependent on the underlying hardware and the nature of the containerized applications.
• Real-world Performance Metrics:
  • Lightweight Design: As a minimal OS, it offers efficient resource utilization, leading to good performance for its intended purpose of hosting containers.
  • ZRAM Support: Enhanced ZRAM support for ARM devices significantly improves performance and reliability on single-board computers.
  • Modularity: The modularity feature allows users to select specific software versions, contributing to system stability and potentially optimizing application performance by avoiding forced upgrades.
• Power Consumption: Not explicitly detailed, but its minimal footprint generally implies lower power consumption compared to full-featured operating systems.
• Carbon Footprint: Not explicitly detailed, but lower power consumption contributes to a reduced carbon footprint.
• Comparison with Similar Assets: Fedora Atomic Host 29 was a precursor and competitor to other container-optimized operating systems, eventually merging with CoreOS Container Linux to form Fedora CoreOS. It aimed to provide a more reliable and easily upgradeable host for containers than traditional Linux distributions.

Analysis of Overall Performance Status: Fedora Atomic Host 29 was designed for optimal performance in containerized environments, prioritizing a minimal base system and efficient resource management. Its immutable nature and atomic update mechanism contributed to system stability, which is crucial for consistent performance. While specific benchmarks are not readily available, its architectural choices suggest good performance for its target use cases, particularly on resource-constrained and ARM-based systems.

User Reviews & Feedback

User feedback for Fedora Atomic Host 29 generally highlighted its suitability for container-centric deployments, along with the challenges associated with its eventual deprecation.

• Strengths:
  • Lightweight and Minimal: Praised for its small footprint, making it efficient for running containerized applications.
  • Immutable and Atomic Updates: Users appreciated the reliability and ease of system management provided by its read-only base and transactional updates.
  • Container Focus: Considered excellent for hosting Docker isolated containers and integrating with orchestration tools like Kubernetes and OpenShift.
  • Modularity: The flexibility to manage different software versions was seen as a significant advantage.
  • ARM/IoT Support: Valued for its performance on single-board computers and in IoT solutions.
• Weaknesses:
  • End of Life: The primary weakness is its deprecated status, meaning no further updates or support.
  • Migration Required: Users faced the necessity of migrating to Fedora CoreOS, which, while a successor, represented a platform change.
  • Specific Compatibility Issues: Some users encountered minor compatibility issues with older Kubernetes/OpenShift versions requiring manual configuration.
• Recommended Use Cases:
  • Hosting containerized applications.
  • Deployment as a host OS for Docker, Kubernetes, and OpenShift environments.
  • IoT solutions and single-board computers, especially ARM-based systems.
  • Cloud deployments.

Summary

Red Hat Fedora Atomic 29 was a pioneering and highly effective operating system tailored for the container ecosystem. Its core strengths lay in its immutable design, ensuring system integrity and simplifying management through atomic updates. This made it a reliable and efficient host for containerized applications, particularly for Docker, Kubernetes, and OpenShift deployments. The inclusion of features like SELinux, robust authentication options, and modularity further enhanced its security and flexibility. Its support for various architectures, including ARM, also made it suitable for a wide range of use cases, from cloud environments to IoT devices.

However, the primary and most significant weakness of Fedora Atomic Host 29 is its End of Life status, which occurred in late 2019. This means it no longer receives security patches, bug fixes, or official support, rendering it unsuitable for production environments due to critical security vulnerabilities. While it served its purpose admirably during its active lifecycle, its deprecation in favor of Fedora CoreOS necessitates migration for any ongoing or new projects.

Recommendations: For organizations still utilizing Fedora Atomic Host 29, immediate migration to Fedora CoreOS or another actively supported container-optimized operating system is strongly recommended. This ensures continued access to security updates, bug fixes, and modern features essential for maintaining a secure and performant infrastructure. For historical context or specific legacy applications in isolated, non-production environments, it may still offer insights into immutable operating system design, but its use in any active capacity is highly discouraged.

Information provided is based on publicly available data and may vary depending on specific device configurations. For up-to-date information, please consult official manufacturer resources.