Document OpenSSL 3.x dependency change for openSUSE/SLES packages (#50895)

Author: Copilot

docs/core/compatibility/8.0.md

@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ If you're migrating an app to .NET 8, the breaking changes listed here might aff
 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- |
 | [Host determines RID-specific assets](deployment/8.0/rid-asset-list.md) | Binary incompatible/behavioral change |
 | [.NET Monitor only includes distroless images](deployment/8.0/monitor-image.md) | Behavioral change |
+| [.NET packages for openSUSE and SLES depend on OpenSSL 3.x](deployment/8.0/opensuse-sles-openssl3-dependency.md) | Behavioral change |
 | [StripSymbols defaults to true](deployment/8.0/stripsymbols-default.md) | Behavioral change |
 
 ## Entity Framework Core

docs/core/compatibility/deployment/8.0/opensuse-sles-openssl3-dependency.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+title: "Breaking change: .NET packages for openSUSE and SLES depend on OpenSSL 3.x"
+description: "Learn about the breaking change in .NET 8 where .NET packages for openSUSE and SLES distributions now depend on OpenSSL 3.x instead of OpenSSL 1.x."
+ms.date: 01/05/2026
+ms.custom: https://github.com/dotnet/runtime/issues/122653
+ai-usage: ai-assisted
+---
+# .NET packages for openSUSE and SLES depend on OpenSSL 3.x
+
+The dependency requirements for .NET packages on openSUSE and SUSE Enterprise Linux Server (SLES) distributions have been updated to depend on OpenSSL 3.x instead of OpenSSL 1.x. This change applies to .NET 6, 7, 8, and later versions installed via package managers on these distributions.
+
+## Version introduced
+
+.NET 8 (also applies to .NET 6 and .NET 7)
+
+## Previous behavior
+
+Previously, .NET packages for openSUSE and SLES distributions specified OpenSSL 1.x as a package dependency. When you installed .NET via the package manager, the system required OpenSSL 1.x libraries to be present.
+
+## New behavior
+
+Starting in .NET 8, .NET packages for openSUSE and SLES distributions specify OpenSSL 3.x as a package dependency. When you install .NET via the package manager, the system requires OpenSSL 3.x libraries to be present. This change has also been applied to .NET 6 and .NET 7 packages.
+
+## Type of breaking change
+
+This change is a [behavioral change](../../categories.md#behavioral-change).
+
+## Reason for change
+
+Some newer versions of openSUSE and SLES distributions no longer offer OpenSSL 1.x in their package repositories, which broke the dependency requirements for .NET packages. Since .NET 6 and later versions already support OpenSSL 3.x at runtime, updating the package dependencies to require OpenSSL 3.x instead of 1.x resolves installation issues on these newer distributions.
+
+For more information, see [dotnet/runtime#122443](https://github.com/dotnet/runtime/issues/122443).
+
+## Recommended action
+
+Most users don't need to take any action. The package manager automatically installs the correct OpenSSL 3.x dependencies when you install or update .NET packages.
+
+However, if your system has both OpenSSL 1.x and OpenSSL 3.x installed, and this change causes issues with other software on your system, you might need to:
+
+- Adjust your system configuration to accommodate both versions.
+- Update other software that depends on OpenSSL 1.x to use OpenSSL 3.x.
+- Stop installing .NET via packages and use an alternative installation method, such as manual installation from tarballs.
+
+If you encounter issues, consult your distribution's documentation for managing multiple OpenSSL versions.
+
+## Affected APIs
+
+None.
+
+## See also
+
+- [dotnet/runtime#122443](https://github.com/dotnet/runtime/issues/122443)
+- [dotnet/runtime#122653](https://github.com/dotnet/runtime/issues/122653)

docs/core/compatibility/toc.yml

@@ -460,6 +460,8 @@ items:
                 href: deployment/8.0/rid-asset-list.md
               - name: .NET Monitor only includes distroless images
                 href: deployment/8.0/monitor-image.md
+              - name: .NET packages for openSUSE and SLES depend on OpenSSL 3.x
+                href: deployment/8.0/opensuse-sles-openssl3-dependency.md
               - name: StripSymbols defaults to true
                 href: deployment/8.0/stripsymbols-default.md
           - name: Entity Framework Core

docs/core/install/linux-opensuse.md

@@ -122,7 +122,10 @@ When you install with a package manager, these libraries are installed for you.
 
 - krb5
 - libicu
-- libopenssl1_1
+- libopenssl3 (OpenSSL 3.x)
+
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> Starting with .NET 8, .NET packages for openSUSE depend on OpenSSL 3.x (libopenssl3). This change also applies to .NET 6 and .NET 7 packages. For more information, see [.NET packages for openSUSE and SLES depend on OpenSSL 3.x](../compatibility/deployment/8.0/opensuse-sles-openssl3-dependency.md).
 
 Dependencies can be installed with the `zypper install` command. The following snippet demonstrates installing the `krb5` library:
 

docs/core/install/linux-sles.md

@@ -121,9 +121,10 @@ When you install with a package manager, these libraries are installed for you.
 
 - krb5
 - libicu
-- libopenssl1_1
+- libopenssl3 (OpenSSL 3.x)
 
-If the target runtime environment's OpenSSL version is 1.1 or newer, install the `compat-openssl10` package.
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> Starting with .NET 8, .NET packages for SLES depend on OpenSSL 3.x (libopenssl3). This change also applies to .NET 6 and .NET 7 packages. For more information, see [.NET packages for openSUSE and SLES depend on OpenSSL 3.x](../compatibility/deployment/8.0/opensuse-sles-openssl3-dependency.md).
 
 Dependencies can be installed with the `zypper install` command. The following snippet demonstrates installing the `krb5` library: