Compatibility modes and specific Linux distributions
Processor compatibility modes vary by Linux™ distribution and version.
The following table describes processor compatibility modes supported by specific versions of Linux distributions. By default, a distribution kernel directs the hypervisor to run the processor in the highest mode that the distribution supports.
| Linux Release | Power11 in Power11 mode | Power11® in POWER10 mode | Power11 in POWER9 mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 8.0, any subsequent RHEL 8.x releases | NO | Yes (RHEL 8.10 only) | Yes (RHEL 8.10 only) |
| Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 9.0, any subsequent RHEL 9.x releases | Yes (RHEL 9.6 and subsequent releases) | Yes (RHEL 9.4 and subsequent releases) | Yes (RHEL 9.4 and subsequent releases) |
| Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 10.0, any subsequent RHEL 10.x releases | Yes | Yes | No |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15, any subsequent SLES 15 updates |
Yes (SLES15 SP6 and subsequent releases) |
Yes (SLES15 SP6 and subsequent releases) |
Yes (SLES15 SP6 and subsequent releases) |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.0, any subsequent SLES 16.x releases | Yes | Yes | No |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, and subsequent updates | Yes | Yes | No |
| Linux Release | POWER10 in POWER10 mode | POWER10 in POWER9 mode | POWER10 in POWER8 mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 8.0, any subsequent RHEL 8.x releases | Yes (RHEL 8.4 and subsequent releases) | Yes (RHEL 8.4 and subsequent releases) | Yes (RHEL 8.4 and subsequent releases) |
| Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 9.0, any subsequent RHEL 9.x releases | Yes | Yes | No |
| Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 10.0, any subsequent RHEL 10.x releases | Yes | No | No |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6, any subsequent SLES 15 updates | Yes (SLES15 SP3 and subsequent releases) | Yes (SLES15 SP3 and subsequent releases) | Yes (SLES15 SP3 and subsequent releases) |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.0, any subsequent SLES 16.x releases | Yes | No | No |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, and subsequent updates | Yes | Yes | No |
| Linux distributions | POWER9 in POWER9 mode | POWER9 in POWER8 mode | POWER8 in POWER8 mode | POWER8 in POWER7® mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12, and subsequent service packs | No | Yes, starting with SP4 | Yes | No |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4, and subsequent service packs | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5, and subsequent updates | No | No | No | Yes |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, and subsequent updates | Yes, starting with 7.4 | Yes | Yes
(No for Red Hat |
Yes, for big endian
No, for little endian |
| Ubuntu 16.04, and subsequent updates | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Linux distributions | POWER5 | POWER6 in POWER6 mode | POWER6 in POWER5 mode | POWER7 in POWER7 mode | POWER7 in POWER6 mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12, and subsequent service packs | No | No | No | No | No |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP1, and subsequent service packs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP2, and subsequent service packs | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, and subsequent updates | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.1, and subsequent updates | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2, and subsequent updates | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Ubuntu 14.04, and subsequent updates | No | No | No | No | No |
Note: For compatibility purposes, POWER7 and POWER7+™ are the same. All entries for POWER7 listed also apply to POWER7+.
For more information about Linux distribution support of specific hardware, see Supported Linux distributions and virtualization options for POWER8 and POWER9 Linux on Power systems.