Microsoft has started referring to its CBL-Mariner distro as Azure Linux

While it came as a bit of a surprise when it first became public, it has been known for some time that Microsoft has its own Linux distro called CBL-Mariner.  The name has been questioned by many, and it is in the process of changing.

The CBL-Mariner moniker is set to become a thing of the past as the distro transitions to being known as Azure Linux.

See also:

• Microsoft is giving click-free access to Copilot in Windows 11
• Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.79.0 with amazing new shortcuts options in Keyboard Manager
• Microsoft is killing off Windows Subsystem for Android

Microsoft has not made any sort of announcement about the rebranding, but it can be seen on GitHub. The repository for CBL-Mariner was previously to be found at github.com/microsoft/CBL-Mariner/, but this now redirects to github.com/microsoft/azurelinux.

The change coincides with the release of build 2.0.202240301, Phoronix notes, and while a change of name has been discussed on GitHub, it was not expected to be implemented until version 3.x.

Aside from the name change, the latest release includes little that is different from the pervious build. Microsoft describes the distro as a "Linux OS for Azure 1P services and edge appliances", and it's clear that the rebranding is just getting underway as the GitHub repository still includes numerous references to CBL-Mariner.

Image credit: Waingro / Dreamstime.com