Alpine Linux

---

title: "Alpine Linux" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["independent-linux-distributions", "light-weight-linux-distributions", "linux-distributions", "linux-distributions-without-systemd", "x86-64-linux-distributions"] description: "Linux distribution based on musl and BusyBox" topic_path: "technology/operating-systems" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_Linux" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Linux distribution based on musl and BusyBox ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox OS"]

Field	Value
name	Alpine Linux
logo	Alpine Linux.svg
developer	Alpine Linux Development Team
family	Linux (Unix-like)
working state	Active
source model	Open source
released
latest release version
latest release date
marketing target	General-purpose. Security, embedded systems and other resource-constrained systems, such as containers.
language	Multilingual
package manager	APK (Alpine Package Keeper)
supported platforms	{{Plain list
kernel type	Monolithic (Linux)
userland	BusyBox
influenced	postmarketOS
ui	Ash
website
::

| name = Alpine Linux | logo = Alpine Linux.svg | screenshot = | caption = | developer = Alpine Linux Development Team | family = Linux (Unix-like) | working state = Active | source model = Open source | released = | latest release version = | latest release date = | marketing target = General-purpose. Security, embedded systems and other resource-constrained systems, such as containers. | language = Multilingual | package manager = APK (Alpine Package Keeper) | supported platforms = {{Plain list|

• x86
• x86-64
• ARMhf
• ARMv7
• AArch64
• ppc64le
• s390x
• LoongArch
• riscv64 | kernel type = Monolithic (Linux) | userland = BusyBox | influenced = postmarketOS | ui = Ash | website =

Alpine Linux is a Linux distribution that uses musl, BusyBox, and OpenRC instead of glibc, GNU Core Utilities, and systemd, respectively. This makes Alpine one of few Linux distributions not to be based on the latter. For security, Alpine compiles all user-space binaries as position-independent executables with stack-smashing protection. Because of its small size and rapid startup, it is commonly used in containers providing quick boot-up times, on virtual machines as well as on real hardware in embedded devices, such as routers, servers and NAS.

History

Originally, Alpine Linux began as an embedded-first distribution for devices such as wireless routers, based on Gentoo Linux, inspired by GNAP and the Bering-uClibc branch of the LEAF Project. Founder Natanael Copa has said that the name was chosen as a backronym for "A Linux-Powered Network Engine" or some such similar phrase, but that the exact phrase has since been forgotten.

Alpine's package management system, the Alpine Package Keeper (apk), was originally a collection of shell scripts but was later rewritten in C.

In 2014, Alpine Linux switched from uClibc to musl as its C standard library.

Derivatives

postmarketOS, a Linux distribution for mobile devices, is based on Alpine Linux.

Notes

References

References

1. "about".
2. (24 August 2010). "Alpine Linux 2 review".
3. Nestor, Marius. (4 December 2017). "Security-Oriented Alpine Linux 3.7 Has UEFI Support, GRUB Support in Installer".
4. Verma, Adarsh. (8 November 2017). "10 Most Secure Linux Distros For Complete Privacy & Anonymity {{!}} 2017 Edition".
5. Noyes, Katherine. (9 February 2016). "Is Docker ditching Ubuntu Linux? Confusion reigns".
6. "OpenRC".
7. Wallen, Jack. (30 June 2023). "What is Alpine Linux?".
8. Bhartiya, Swapnil. (28 March 2017). "Meet Alpine Linux, Docker's Distribution of Choice for Containers".
9. ((Steven Nuu00f1ez)). (10 July 2017). "Review: Alpine Linux is made for Docker".
10. Copa, Natanael. (22 August 2005). "Re: [leaf-devel] 2.6.x kernel support?".
11. "Re: [leaf-devel] 2.6.x kernel support?".
12. Copa, Natanael. (3 November 2017). "Small, Simple, and Secure: Alpine Linux under the Microscope". Docker.
13. "Alpine Package Keeper".
14. "apk-tools".
15. "apk-tools – Alpine package manager".
16. "Alpine 3.0.0 released".
17. "postmarketOS // real Linux distribution for phones".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::