Understanding Profiles
A profile is required to register an instance with Autonomous Linux. Profiles provide a way to consistently define how an instance registers with the service.
An instance registers with one and only one profile. However, you can use a single profile repeatedly to register multiple instances with the service. The profile specifies the associations to apply to an instance at registration. This can include software sources or group membership. Once registered, the profile is no longer used by the instance. Editing a profile doesn't affect instances that used the profile to register.
See also Video: Creating and Managing Profiles.
A profile is only used for registration. After an instance registers, editing or deleting the profile has no effect on the instances that used the profile to register. To change instance settings after registration, such as attached software sources, do so directly through the service. For example, Attaching Software Sources to an Instance.
Service-provided
Autonomous Linux provides a set of basic profiles within the root compartment that you can use to register OCI instances. These profiles provide the minimal set of information required to register a standalone instance with the service. You can't move, edit, or delete service-provided profiles.
Autonomous Linux provides the following service-provided profiles:
- Oracle Autonomous Linux 7
- Oracle Autonomous Linux 8
- Oracle Autonomous Linux 9
User-defined
You can create profiles to define the software sources to attach to the instance, or the group to assign to the instance. User-defined profiles can reside in any compartment.
You can create the following types of profiles:
- Software Source
- A software source profile defines the software sources to attach to the instance when it registers with the service. The software sources must match the OS vendor, OS version, and architecture of the instance.
- Group
- A group profile defines the group to associate with the instance when it registers with the service. The instance must match the OS vendor, OS version, and architecture of the group. As a member of the group, Autonomous Linux includes the instance in the group's scheduled jobs.
Default
You can specify a default profile to use when registering a particular OCI instance. There can be only one default profile per OS vendor, OS version, and architecture. Default profiles must reside in the root compartment.
When you register an instance and don't specify a profile, Autonomous Linux uses the default profile matching the instances OS version and architecture. Default profiles are most useful with automation to streamline the registration process.
Initially, the service-provided profiles are marked as default. You can set any profile (user-defined or service-provided) that resides in the root compartment as a default. You can also clear the default setting and have no default profile.