CIQ Launches Rocky Linux for AI to Optimize AI Workloads
CIQ, the founding support and services partner of Rocky Linux, has introduced a tech preview of Rocky Linux for AI (RLC-AI), an operating system engineered specifically for artificial intelligence (AI) workloads.
RLC-AI offers out-of-the-box optimizations at both the kernel and user-space levels, tailored to AI model enablement, tuning, and inference, all while maintaining the stability and security expected from enterprise-grade Linux distributions.
Optimized for AI Workloads
Unlike general-purpose operating systems that require extensive manual setup and tuning for AI applications, RLC-AI delivers immediate performance improvements for AI tasks.
By building on the solid foundation of Rocky Linux, the operating system is enhanced with a specialized kernel and user-space components to optimize performance for AI applications.
This approach significantly reduces deployment time, enabling organizations to efficiently scale AI deployments while addressing the growing demands of security, cost, and innovation.
Key Features of RLC-AI
RLC-AI is a specialized OS optimized for AI workloads, built on a stable long-term Linux kernel with enhancements like Confidential Computing and hardware acceleration from NVIDIA, Mellanox, and AMD.
It includes pre-integrated AI frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, ONNX), requires no post-install setup, and is ideal for large-scale deployments. With HPC-inspired performance tweaks, it delivers faster training, lower latency, and consistent results for AI/ML applications.
Aimed at Accelerating AI Adoption
Gregory Kurtzer, CEO and founder of CIQ, said, “Linux has always served as the critical surface area between software and hardware advancements.”
He added, “And with the rate of innovation in AI technologies, it is critical that the operating system helps to maintain compatibility. Not only this, but the operating system must also play a more active role in how we optimize these heavy workloads and how quickly we can take advantage of new advancements. RLC-AI enhances the Linux kernel and the user space to help organizations of all sizes adopt AI, improve utilization of important compute resources, and maintain competitive advantage."
RLC-AI also delivers significant cost reductions by lowering infrastructure expenses and eliminating the need for custom Linux distribution maintenance. This makes it an ideal solution for businesses looking to accelerate AI deployment, innovation, and performance.
Also read: Polyhedra and Aethir Launch Joint Incubator to Accelerate Development of Verifiable AI Applications
Security and Scalability Features
RLC-AI offers enterprise-grade security with capabilities such as supply chain attestation, cryptographic validation, and CVE remediation.
It also supports Confidential Computing features like Intel TDX, AMD SEV-SNP, and NVIDIA solutions to safeguard AI models and data.
It is intended to support sophisticated hardware such as AI accelerators from processor vendors like NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel, with native support for x86_64 and ARM architectures like NVIDIA Grace Hopper/Blackwell.
