A subset of packages in Amazon Linux is designated as core toolchain packages. As a major part of AL2023, core packages receive five years of support. We might change the version of a package, but long-term support applies to the package included in the Amazon Linux release.
These three core packages provide a system toolchain that's used to build most software in the Amazon Linux distribution.
| Package | Definition | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| glibc 2.34 |
System C library |
Used by most binary programs that provide standard functions and by the interface between programs and the kernel. |
|
gcc 11.2 |
gcc compiler suite |
Compiles C, C++, Fortran. |
|
binutils 2.35 |
Assembler and linker plus other binary tools |
Manipulates or inspects binary programs. |
We recommend that updates to any glibc libraries are followed by a reboot. For updates to packages that control services, it might be sufficient to restart the services to pick up the updates. However, a system reboot ensures that all previous package and library updates are complete.
