1. Introduction
With each version of Checkmk, previously-supported Linux versions are removed and new ones are added. This may make it necessary to perform one or more upgrades of your Linux distribution before performing an update of Checkmk. The graphics in this article will help you to determine the appropriate sequence. Study these carefully before searching the download archive or requesting an older package. If you want to update to a version of Checkmk older than 2.2.0, please read this article for the Checkmk version that is to be the target of the update.
2. Determining the required update steps
The task is now to move from the top left to the bottom right in the compatibility matrix for your particular Linux distribution. The specifications for the Update of Checkmk must be taken into account:
No major version may be omitted.
Before updating the major version, you must update to the highest patch version available for the major version. The minimum requirements are described in the article on updating to 2.2.0.
When upgrading the Linux distribution, exactly the same Checkmk version must be installed on the new distribution version as was present on the old one.
Linux distributors also generally set a requirement:
Upgrades must not skip any version.
Ubuntu is somewhat special in this respect: LTS versions (Long Term Support, five years of updates) should only ever be updated to the next LTS version, STS versions (Short Term Support, nine months of updates) must be updated in half-yearly steps.
These requirements mean that you may only move in the graphic for your Linux distribution line by line or column by column — never diagonally — and that jumps are only permitted if they do not violate the above requirements. For an update from Debian 9 with Checkmk 2.1.0p1 to Debian 12 with Checkmk 2.2.0, this will result in the following update sequence:
Under Debian 9, update Checkmk 2.1.0p1 to the current patch version of 2.1.0.
Upgrade from Debian 9 to 10, 11 and finally to 12 as described in the Linux upgrade on the Checkmk server article.
On Debian 12, update the current patch version of Checkmk 2.1.0 to the current patch version of 2.2.0.
3. Compatibility matrix
The Checkmk version numbers at the top of the graphics in the following sections always indicate the version from which a change has been made, i.e. a Linux version is newly supported or no longer supported. An arrowhead at the end of a bar means that this Checkmk version is currently supported, i.e. further patch versions will follow. A blunt end, on the other hand, indicates a combination of Checkmk version and distribution version that has reached its end of support. This may be due to a discontinued Checkmk version (all bars are blunt) or a distribution that is no longer supported by the distributor (individual bars continue with arrowheads). The graphics are created automatically from daily-updated data on the available downloads, so the publication date of this article does not necessarily reflect the actuality of the displayed data.
3.1. Debian
The support periods of the Debian versions can be found at Debian-Wiki or an overview at endoflife.date.
Activate JavaScript to display the compatibility matrix for Debian here.
3.2. RedHat Enterprise Linux
RedHat provides a detailed overview of planned support periods. At endoflife.date you will find information on the AlmaLinux, CentOS, Oracle Linux and Rocky Linux derivatives.
Activate JavaScript to display the compatibility matrix for RedHat Enterprise Linux here.
3.3. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
On the SUSE page you will find the lifecycle overview. Alternatively, an overview is available at endoflife.date.
Activate JavaScript to display the compatibility matrix for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server here.
3.4. Ubuntu
Note that STS versions of Ubuntu will in future no longer be supported by Checkmk. However, we always make sure that an update is possible from every Checkmk version that was provided for an STS version up to the next LTS version. As of 2.2.0, the OS support policy creates clear rules.
Ubuntu itself maintains a list sorted by versions still in support as well as discontinued versions. The list at endoflife.date is sorted by version release date.
Activate JavaScript to display the compatibility matrix for Ubuntu here.
4. OS support policy in Checkmk
In order to provide an outlook for the support by future Checkmk versions and to be able to plan updates of distributions and Checkmk better, Checkmk GmbH has set itself some rules:
Enterprise distributions (SLES, RHEL) will be supported for up to 10 years after their release date, or until the official end of support by the distributor.
Community distributions (Debian, Ubuntu) are supported for up to 5 years after their release date, or until the official end of support by the distributor, provided they are LTS releases.
In both cases, the earlier point in time is decisive.
From the time of the release of a new Checkmk version we will strive to support every current distribution version for the entire product lifecycle of the new Checkmk version, unless there are technical reasons to preclude this, or the number of simultaneously-supported versions of a distribution exceeds four. If this is the case, we reserve the right to no longer support the distribution version with the shortest remaining period of support. This will be announced when a new Checkmk version is released.
Ubuntu STS versions will in future no longer be supported. Since Checkmk 2.1.0 for Ubuntu 22.10 had already been released when this OS Support Policy was published, in order to facilitate updates we have decided to slowly phase out support for Ubuntu’s STS versions. This means that Ubuntu 23.10 will be the last STS version supported by Checkmk. Affected users can then seamlessly switch to an LTS version with the update to 24.04.