Using the default Amazon Linux AMI for Amazon EMR
Each Amazon EMR release version uses a default Amazon Linux AMI for Amazon EMR unless you specify a custom AMI. Starting with Amazon EMR 5.36, Amazon EMR 6.6, and Amazon EMR 7.0 releases, Amazon EMR automatically incorporates Amazon Linux updates into the default Amazon EMR AMI (AL2 for Amazon EMR 5.x and 6.x, AL2023 for Amazon EMR 7.x) as the default behavior. New Amazon Linux releases are typically integrated within 2 weeks of their availability, though integration may occasionally go beyond 2 weeks due to testing requirements.
Automatic Amazon Linux updates for Amazon EMR releases
When you launch a cluster with the latest patch release of Amazon EMR 7.0 or higher, 6.6 or higher, or 5.36 or higher, Amazon EMR uses the latest Amazon Linux release for the default Amazon EMR AMI. For example:
-
Where there is an
x.x.0and anx.x.1release, thex.x.0release stops getting AMI updates whenx.x.1launches. -
Similarly,
x.x.1stops getting AMI updates whenx.x.2launches. -
Later, when
x.y.0releases,x.x.continues to receive AMI updates alongside[latest]x.y..[latest]
To see if you're using the latest patch release as denoted by the number after the
second decimal point (6.8.) for an Amazon EMR
release, refer to the available releases in the Amazon EMR Release Guide,
check the Amazon EMR release dropdown when you create a
cluster in the console, or use the 1ListReleaseLabels API or list-release-labels CLI action. To get updates when we
launch a new Amazon EMR release, subscribe to the RSS feed on the What's
new? page in the Release Guide.
If you want to, you can choose to launch your cluster with the Amazon Linux version that the Amazon EMR release first shipped with. For information on how to specify the Amazon Linux release for your cluster, see Change the Amazon Linux release when you create an EMR cluster.
Default Amazon Linux versions
Topics
Default AMIs for Amazon EMR 7.0 and higher
The following table lists Amazon Linux information for the latest patch version of Amazon EMR releases 7.0 and higher.
| OsReleaseLabel (AL version) | AL kernel version | Available date | AWS Regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023.12.20260629.0 | 6.1.175-219.359.amzn2023 | July 22, 2026 |
|
| 2023.12.20260611.0 | 6.1.174-217.345.amzn2023 | July 3, 2026 |
|
| 2023.11.20260509.0 | 6.1.170-210.320.amzn2023 | May 26, 2026 |
|
| 2023.11.20260413.0 | 6.1.166-197.305.amzn2023 | April 24, 2026 |
|
| 2023.10.20260302.1 | 6.1.163-186.299.amzn2023 | March 13, 2026 |
|
| 2023.10.20260216.1 | 6.1.161-183.298.amzn2023 | February 25, 2026 |
|
| 2023.10.20260120.4 | 6.1.159-182.297.amzn2023 | February 18, 2026 |
|
| 2023.9.20251208.0 | 6.1.158-180.294.amzn2023 | January 13, 2026 |
|
| 2023.9.20251117.1 | 6.1.158-178.288.amzn2023 | December 16, 2025 |
|
| 2023.9.20251027.0 | 6.1.156-177.286.amzn2023 | November 10, 2025 |
|
| 2023.9.20250929.0 | 6.1.153-175.280.amzn2023 | October 13, 2025 |
|
| 2023.8.20250818.0 | 6.1.147-172.266.amzn2023 | September 17, 2025 |
|
| 2023.8.20250808.1 | 6.1.147-172.266.amzn2023 | August 28, 2025 |
|
| 2023.8.20250721.2 | 6.1.144-170.251.amzn2023 | August 14, 2025 |
|
| 2023.7.20250623.1 | 6.1.141-155.222.amzn2023 | July 21, 2025 |
|
| 2023.7.20250609.0 | 6.1.140-154.222.amzn2023 | July 14, 2025 |
|
| 2023.7.20250527.1 | 6.1.134-152.225.amzn2023 | Jun 19, 2025 |
|
| 2023.7.20250512.0 | 6.1.134-152.225.amzn2023 | Jun 04, 2025 |
|
| 2023.7.20250428.1 | 6.1.134-150.224.amzn2023 | May 23, 2025 |
|
| 2023.7.20250414.0 | 6.1.132-147.221.amzn2023 | May 12, 2025 |
|
| 2023.7.20250331.0 | 6.1.131-143.221.amzn2023 | April 18, 2025 |
|
| 2023.6.20250303.0 | 6.1.129-138.220.amzn2023 | March 27, 2025 |
|
| 2023.6.20250218.2 | 6.1.128-136.201.amzn2023 | March 08, 2025 |
|
| 2023.6.20250211.0 | 6.1.127-135.201.amzn2023 | February 26, 2025 |
|
| 2023.6.20250123.4 | 6.1.124-134.200.amzn2023 | January 27, 2025 |
|
| 2023.6.20250115.0 | 6.1.119-129.201.amzn2023 | January 23, 2025 |
|
| 2023.6.20241121.0 | 6.1.115-126.197.amzn2023 | December 12, 2024 |
|
| 2023.5.20241031.0 | 6.1.112-124.190.amzn2023 | November 15, 2024 |
|
| 2023.5.20241001.1 | 6.1.109-118.189.amzn2023 | October 4, 2024 |
|
| 2023.5.20240819.0 | 6.1.102-111.182.amzn2023 | August 20, 2024 |
|
| 2023.5.20240730.0 | 6.1.97-104.177.amzn2023 | August 2, 2024 |
|
| 2023.5.20240722.0 | 6.1.97-104.177.amzn2023 | July 24, 2024 |
|
| 2023.5.20240708.0 | 6.1.96-102.177.amzn2023 | July 23, 2024 |
|
| 2023.3.20240304.0 | 6.1.79-99.164.amzn2023 | March 12, 2024 |
|
| 2023.3.20240219.0 | 6.1.77-99.164.amzn2023 | March 1, 2024 |
|
| 2023.3.20240205.0 | 6.1.75-99.163.amzn2023 | February 19, 2024 |
|
| 2023.3.20240122.0 | 6.1.72-96.166.amzn2023 | February 5, 2024 |
|
| 2023.3.20240108.0 | 6.1.72-96.166.amzn2023 | January 24, 2024 |
|
| 2023.3.20231211.4 | 6.1.66-91.160.amzn2023 | December 19, 2023 |
|
Default AMIs for Amazon EMR 6.6 and higher
The following table lists Amazon Linux information for the latest patch version of Amazon EMR releases 6.6.x and higher.
| OsReleaseLabel (AL version) | AL kernel version | Available date | AWS Regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0.20260629.0 | 4.14.355-284.737.amzn2 | July 22, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260615.0 | 4.14.355-282.733.amzn2 | July 3, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260508.0 | 4.14.355-282.728.amzn2 | May 26, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260406.1 | 4.14.355-281.714.amzn2 | April 24, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260302.0 | 4.14.355-280.714.amzn2 | March 13, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260216.0 | 4.14.355-280.714.amzn2 | February 25, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260120.1 | 4.14.355-280.713.amzn2 | February 18, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20251208.0 | 4.14.355-280.710.amzn2 | January 13, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20251121.0 | 4.14.355-280.708.amzn2 | December 16, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20251027.1 | 4.14.355-280.706.amzn2 | November 10, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250929.2 | 4.14.355-280.695.amzn2 | October 13, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250818.2 | 4.14.355-280.672.amzn2 | September 17, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250808.1 | 4.14.355-280.664.amzn2 | August 28, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250610.0 | 4.14.355-277.647.amzn2 | July 14, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250527.1 | 4.14.355-277.647.amzn2 | Jun 19, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250512.0 | 4.14.355-277.643.amzn2 | Jun 04, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250428.0 | 4.14.355-276.639.amzn2 | May 23, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250414.0 | 4.14.355-276.618.amzn2 | May 12, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250321.0 | 4.14.355 | April 09, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250305.0 | 4.14.355 | March 18, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250220.0 | 4.14.355 | March 08, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250201.0 | 4.14.355 | February 28, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250123.4 | 4.14.355 | January 27, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250116.0 | 4.14.355 | January 23, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20241217.0 | 4.14.355 | January 8, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20241001.0 | 4.14.352 | October 4, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20240816.0 | 4.14.350 | August 21, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20240809.0 | 4.14.349 | August 20, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20240719.0 | 4.14.348 | July 25, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20240709.1 | 4.14.348 | July 23, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20240223.0 | 4.14.336 | March 8, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20240131.0 | 4.14.336 | February 14, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20240124.0 | 4.14.336 | February 7, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20240109.0 | 4.14.334 | January 24, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20231218.0 | 4.14.330 | January 2, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20231206.0 | 4.14.330 | December 22, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20231116.0 | 4.14.328 | December 11, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20231101.0 | 4.14.327 | November 17, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20231020.1 | 4.14.326 | November 07, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20231012.1 | 4.14.326 | October 26, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230926.0 | 4.14.322 | October 19, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.202308906.0 | 4.14.322 | October 04, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230822.0 | 4.14.322 | August 30, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230808.0 | 4.14.320 | August 24, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230727.0 | 4.14.320 | August 14, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230719.0 | 4.14.320 | August 2, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230628.0 | 4.14.318 | July 12, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230612.0 | 4.14.314 | June 23, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230504.1 | 4.14.313 | May 16, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230418.0 | 4.14.311 | May 3, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230404.1 | 4.14.311 | April 18, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230404.0 | 4.14.311 | April 10, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230320.0 | 4.14.309 | March 30, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230307.0 | 4.14.305 | March 15, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230207.0 | 4.14.304 | March 3, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230119.1 | 4.14.301 | February 9, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20221210.1 | 4.14.301 | January 12, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20221103.3 | 4.14.296 | December 5, 2022 |
|
| 2.0.20221004.0 | 4.14.294 | November 2, 2022 |
|
| 2.0.20220912.1 | 4.14.291 | October 7, 2022 |
|
| 2.0.20220805.0 | 4.14.287 | August 30, 2022 |
|
| 2.0.20220719.0 | 4.14.287 | August 10, 2022 |
|
| 2.0.20220426.0 | 4.14.281 | June 10, 2022 |
|
| 2.0.20220406.1 | 4.14.275 | May 2, 2022 |
|
Default AMIs for Amazon EMR 5.x
The following table lists Amazon Linux information for the latest patch version of Amazon EMR 5.x releases 5.36 and higher.
| OsReleaseLabel (AL version) | AL kernel version | Available date | AWS Regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0.20260629.0 | 4.14.355-284.737.amzn2 | July 22, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260615.0 | 4.14.355-282.733.amzn2 | July 3, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260508.0 | 4.14.355-282.728.amzn2 | May 26, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260406.1 | 4.14.355-281.714.amzn2 | April 24, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260302.0 | 4.14.355-280.714.amzn2 | March 13, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260216.0 | 4.14.355-280.714.amzn2 | February 25, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20260120.1 | 4.14.355-280.713.amzn2 | February 18, 2026 |
|
| 2.0.20251208.0 | 4.14.355-280.710.amzn2 | January 13, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20251121.0 | 4.14.355-280.708.amzn2 | December 16, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20251027.1 | 4.14.355-280.706.amzn2 | November 10, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250929.2 | 4.14.355-280.695.amzn2 | October 13, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250818.2 | 4.14.355-280.672.amzn2 | September 17, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250808.1 | 4.14.355-280.664.amzn2 | August 28, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250428.0 | 4.14.355-276.639.amzn2 | May 23, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250321.0 | 4.14.355 | April 09, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250305.0 | 4.14.355 | March 18, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250220.0 | 4.14.355 | March 08, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250201.0 | 4.14.355 | February 28, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250123.4 | 4.14.355 | January 27, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20250116.0 | 4.14.355 | January 23, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20241217.0 | 4.14.355 | January 8, 2025 |
|
| 2.0.20240816.0 | 4.14.350 | August 21, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20240809.0 | 4.14.349 | August 20, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20240719.0 | 4.14.348 | July 25, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20240709.1 | 4.14.348 | July 23, 2024 |
|
| 2.0.20230504.1 | 4.14.313 | May 16, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230418.0 | 4.14.311 | May 3, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230404.1 | 4.14.311 | April 18, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230404.0 | 4.14.311 | April 10, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230320.0 | 4.14.309 | March 30, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230307.0 | 4.14.305 | March 15, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20230207.0 | 4.14.304 | March 3, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20221210.1 | 4.14.301 | January 12, 2023 |
|
| 2.0.20221103.3 | 4.14.296 | December 5, 2022 |
|
| 2.0.20221004.0 | 4.14.294 | November 2, 2022 |
|
| 2.0.20220912.1 | 4.14.291 | October 7, 2022 |
|
| 2.0.20220719.0 | 4.14.287 | August 10, 2022 |
|
| 2.0.20220426.0 | 4.14.281 | June 14, 2022 |
|
Software update considerations
Take note of the following default software update behaviors:
Amazon EMR 7.x — Amazon Linux 2023
Amazon EMR releases 7.0 and higher run on Amazon Linux 2023 (AL2023). Your clusters only contain security updates that were available in the version of AL2023 AMI that you chose when you created them. At launch time, EMR cluster instances will not install the latest security updates from the enabled package repositories. To receive the latest security updates, we recommend that you periodically recreate your cluster. For more information on AL2023, see Updating Amazon Linux 2023 in the Amazon Linux 2023 User Guide.
Amazon EMR 5.36+ and 6.6+ — Amazon Linux 2
Amazon EMR releases 5.36 and higher, and 6.6 and higher, run on Amazon Linux 2 (AL2). Your clusters only contain security updates that were available in the version of AL2 AMI that you chose when you created them. At launch time, EMR cluster instances will not install the latest security updates from the enabled package repositories. To receive the latest security updates, we recommend that you periodically recreate your cluster. For more information on AL2, see Manage software on your AL2 instance in the Amazon Linux 2 User Guide.
Amazon EMR 3.x, 4.x, 5.0.0 to 5.35.0, and 6.0.0 to 6.5.0 — Amazon Linux AMI locked to Amazon EMR release version
For Amazon EMR releases 3.x, 4.x, 5.0.0 to 5.35.0, and 6.0.0 to 6.5.0, the default AMI is based on the most up-to-date Amazon Linux AMI available at the time of the Amazon EMR release. The AMI is tested for compatibility with the big data applications and Amazon EMR features included in that release version.
When an Amazon EC2 instance boots for the first time in a cluster that is based on the default Amazon Linux (AL) or AL2 AMI for Amazon EMR, it checks for software updates that apply to the release version in the enabled package repositories for AL and Amazon EMR. As with other Amazon EC2 instances that run AL or AL2 AMIs, critical and important security updates from these repositories are automatically installed.
Also note that, in your networking configuration, you must allow HTTP and HTTPS egress to Amazon Linux repositories in Amazon S3. Otherwise, security updates will fail. For more information, see Amazon Linux - Package repository in the Amazon EC2 User Guide. By default, other software packages and kernel updates that require a reboot, including NVIDIA and CUDA, are excluded from the automatic download at first boot.
Important
Amazon EMR releases 3.x, 4.x, 5.0.0 to 5.35.0, and 6.0.0 to 6.5.0 use the default Amazon Linux behavior, and do not automatically download and install important and critical kernel updates that require a reboot. This is the same behavior as other Amazon EC2 instances that run the default AL or AL2 AMIs. If new Amazon Linux software updates that require a reboot (such as kernel, NVIDIA, and CUDA updates) become available after an Amazon EMR release becomes available, EMR cluster instances that run the default AMI do not automatically download and install those updates. To get kernel updates, you can use the latest Amazon Linux AMI as described in Using a custom AMI to provide more flexibility for Amazon EMR cluster configuration.
The cluster launches with or without updates
Be aware that if software updates can't be installed because package repositories are unreachable at first cluster boot, the cluster instance still completes its launch. For instance, repositories may be unreachable because S3 is temporarily unavailable, or you might have VPC or firewall rules configured to block access.
Don't run sudo yum update
When you connect to a cluster instance using SSH, the first few lines of screen
output provide a link to the release notes for the Amazon Linux AMI that the instance uses,
a notice of the most recent Amazon Linux AMI version, a notice of the number of packages
available for update from the enabled repositories, and a directive to run
sudo yum update.
Important
We strongly recommend that you do not run sudo yum update on
cluster instances, either while connected with SSH or when you use a bootstrap
action. This might cause incompatibilities because all packages are installed
indiscriminately.
Software update best practices
Best practices for managing software updates
-
If you use a lower release version of Amazon EMR, consider and test a migration to the latest release before updating software packages.
-
If you migrate to a higher release version or you upgrade software packages, test the implementation in a non-production environment first. The option to clone clusters with the Amazon EMR console is helpful for this.
-
Evaluate software updates for your applications and for your version of Amazon Linux AMI on an individual basis. Only test and install packages in production environments that you determine to be absolutely necessary for your security posture, application functionality, or performance.
-
Watch the Amazon Linux Security Center
for updates. -
Avoid installing packages by connecting to individual cluster instances using SSH. Instead, use a bootstrap action to install and update packages on all cluster instances as necessary. This requires that you terminate a cluster and relaunch it. For more information, see Create bootstrap actions to install additional software with an Amazon EMR cluster.