Microsoft: SQL Server on Linux Adoption is 'Phenomenal'—But We've Got News for SUSE Users

Hey Tech Fans!

Microsoft’s annual Ignite conference always brings some big headlines, but one bit of news truly caught our eye this week: the incredible success of SQL Server on Linux. It seems that Microsoft’s push into cross-platform compatibility is paying dividends!

During the Ignite 2025 keynotes, Microsoft boasted that the overall adoption of SQL Server on Linux has been nothing short of “phenomenal.” This isn’t just about legacy users, either—adoption of the new SQL Server 2025 public preview has also been called “remarkable.”

This booming success underscores a vital truth: developers and enterprises need robust, cross-platform solutions, and for many, Linux is the platform of choice.

A Shift in Focus: Saying Goodbye to SUSE

While the news on adoption is overwhelmingly positive, there’s a major development for users running SQL Server on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES).

SQL Server 2025 has officially dropped support for the SUSE distro.

This signals a clear strategic focus. Microsoft is concentrating its efforts on key Linux partners like Canonical and Red Hat. To that end, the SQL Server 2025 preview currently supports RHEL 10 and Ubuntu 24.04.

If you’re still on SLES, don’t panic immediately! If you’re running SQL Server 2022 or an older version, you will continue to receive cumulative updates according to that version’s lifecycle policy. However, to leverage the new features in 2025, you’ll need to plan a migration.

What’s New for SQL on Linux?

It’s not just about what’s missing; the SQL Server 2025 release brings several exciting enhancements for Linux users:

• Security & Networking: We finally get support for TLS 1.3 and the ability to configure custom password policies via Active Directory or mssql.conf. Signed container images are also available for added trust.
• Performance Boost: For better performance, SQL Server 2025 now supports the tmpfs filesystem for storing log files and tempdb data. Just remember, data on tmpfs is ephemeral—it’s lost if your container restarts!
• Developer Experience: Developers can easily deploy SQL Server 2025 local containers directly from Visual Studio Code using the SQL Server (mssql) extension. Plus, you get Bring Your Own Driver (BYOD) capabilities for easy external data querying.

Microsoft is clearly committed to making SQL Server a powerful, modern, and high-performance option on Linux. The adoption numbers prove it’s a direction the industry wants, even if it means some tough decisions about which distros to support going forward.