Is This the End for Redis? More Linux Distros Are Saying Goodbye

You know how things are always moving in the world of Linux? Well, get this: there’s a pretty significant shift happening that’s more than just shuffling software around.

Arch Linux, that distro known for living on the bleeding edge, has officially given Redis the boot from its main software stash ([extra] repository) and welcomed Valkey in its place. But hold on, this isn’t just a techy swap – it hints at something bigger happening in the open-source community.

🔄 Redis: From Open Source Sweetheart to Licensing Drama

Let’s take a quick trip back to March 2024. Redis Inc., the folks behind that super popular in-memory data store, decided to shake things up with their licensing.

They moved away from the pretty chill BSD 3-Clause license to a dual-license setup: the Redis Source Available License v2 (RSALv2) and the Server Side Public License v1 (SSPLv1).

Their reasoning? They wanted to make sure the big cloud companies weren’t just making money off Redis without giving anything back to the project. It felt like a move to protect themselves – and maybe their bottom line. And, well, the community wasn’t exactly thrilled about it.

🌱 Valkey: A Community-Focused Fork with Some Powerful Friends

The response was pretty swift. Some major players in tech – think Amazon, Google, Oracle, Ericsson, and Snap – decided to take matters into their own hands and forked Redis, launching Valkey

Now, Valkey’s got the backing of the Linux Foundation, which means it’s in good hands for the long haul with community-led decisions and open development. The project’s doing great, already at version 8.1, and lots of different Linux versions are starting to adopt it.

Here’s the lowdown on what Valkey brings:

• ⚡ Seriously fast performance – We’re talking sub-millisecond speeds, even when things get busy.
• 🔁 Plays well with others – It’s compatible with almost all the Redis commands and data formats you’re used to.
• 🧪 Actively being worked on – Expect regular updates, with the community pitching in and development happening out in the open.
• 🧩 Easy to swap in – For most apps, you can just replace Redis with Valkey, and you might not even need to change your code.

🏗️ Arch Linux Makes It Official: It’s Valkey Time

As of April 17, 2025, the folks who maintain Arch have announced that Valkey is officially taking Redis’s spot in the [extra] software repository.

Redis is going to hang around for a couple of weeks (a 14-day “grace period”), so you can still install or update it during that time. But after that window closes, Redis is getting moved out of [extra] and into the AUR (Arch User Repository). While it’ll still be there if you need it, it won’t have the official support or updates from the main Arch team anymore.

Here’s what you should know:

• ✅ Valkey’s already in [extra] and ready to be installed.
• ⏳ Redis is on its way out and will be in the AUR by May 1, 2025.
• 🔄 Switching is pretty smooth – your settings, backups, and most of your code should work without a hitch.
• 📢 It’s probably a good idea to start making the switch now to avoid any bumps down the road.

🧭 What This Means for Developers

If you’re a developer, especially if you rely on Redis, the good news is that moving over to Valkey looks like it’ll be pretty straightforward.

Unless you’re using some of the more unusual Redis features, your applications probably won’t even notice the change. And it’s interesting to see that other Linux versions like Debian, Fedora, and Alpine are also leaning towards this open-source-first approach.

It seems like Redis Inc.’s decision to change their licensing might have helped their business, but it might have also pushed away the very community that helped them become so popular in the first place.

The Bigger Picture: A Shift in the Open Source Winds?

So, was Redis Inc.’s licensing move worth the risk?

In the short term, maybe. They did protect their business from the big cloud providers. But in the long run? That’s still up in the air. You see, in the open-source world, being visible is huge. Redis used to be a standard part of almost every major Linux version. Now, that spotlight is starting to move. And once you lose that kind of prime real estate in the open-source ecosystem, it’s tough to get it back.

Is Valkey going to completely replace Redis everywhere? Maybe not overnight. But with more and more Linux versions making the switch and developers starting to think differently, it feels like things are heading in that direction.

One thing’s for sure: when it comes to those super-fast in-memory databases, the open-source community has passed the baton – and Valkey’s running with it.

🔮 What’s Coming Up?

Redis isn’t going to disappear completely – at least not yet. It’s still powering a lot of systems out there, and Redis Inc. is still working on it with enterprise features, paid support, and improvements to Redis Stack.

But as more and more Linux versions drop Redis and embrace Valkey, the main focus is shifting. And Arch’s decision feels like another strong sign that Valkey isn’t just a backup plan – it’s quickly becoming the new go-to.