Table of contents
Stability
CentOS is known for its stability and reliability since it's derived from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) sources.
Security
Due to its enterprise-focused nature, CentOS benefits from robust security updates and patches that ensure a secure operating environment.
Cost
CentOS is free to use and provides enterprise-grade features without the cost of a commercial license.
Community Support
There is a large and active community that provides support, contributes to documentation, and shares knowledge through forums and other resources.
Compatibility
CentOS offers excellent compatibility with various software and hardware due to its close alignment with RHEL.
Long-term support
CentOS versions typically receive long-term support, making it suitable for servers and critical applications that require stability over time.
We have collected here some useful links to help you find out if CentOS is good.
Check the traffic stats of CentOS on SimilarWeb. The key metrics to look for are: monthly visits, average visit duration, pages per visit, and traffic by country. Moreoever, check the traffic sources. For example "Direct" traffic is a good sign.
Check the "Domain Rating" of CentOS on Ahrefs. The domain rating is a measure of the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. It shows the strength of CentOS's backlink profile compared to the other websites. In most cases a domain rating of 60+ is considered good and 70+ is considered very good.
Check the "Domain Authority" of CentOS on MOZ. A website's domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It is based on a 100-point logarithmic scale, with higher scores corresponding to a greater likelihood of ranking. This is another useful metric to check if a website is good.
The latest comments about CentOS on Reddit. This can help you find out how popualr the product is and what people think about it.
First, it is important to state that Stream is not a rolling release, at least not in the sense that you are thinking. It is "rolling" within a major release, but so are plenty of Linux Distributions. This is also why the centos.org website stopped using "rolling", and started using "continuos" instead at December 2020 (commit). So anyone that keeps using this wording is intentionally being misleading or... Source: about 3 years ago
I get that Red Hat has shown themselves to be less than trust worthy given the sunset of CentOS 8, the removal of the centos.org repo updates and the characterization of anyone who uses their software via a clone distro as being a "freeloader" or "parasite". Source: about 3 years ago
This might be a good use case for RHEL family distribution (such as CentOS Stream or AlmaLinux) or Debian. These are much longer lived distributions, and provide fewer update churn over time than other distributions. Source: about 3 years ago
The easiest approach to this is to download CentOS 7 from centos.org. Source: about 4 years ago
I looked out for days now but didnโt find anything. Iโm looking for the stock wallpaper from CentOS Stream. Like the background on their official website: Https://centos.org Does anybody have more luck or better sources than me? Thank you in advance. Source: over 4 years ago
I parted ways with the project due to several factors. Initially it was legal action from Red Hat who was threatening me personally with a law suit after some of the CentOS leads ignored them. Couple that with some of these individuals who didn't want to comply to Red Hat legal's actions as well as CentOS board manipulation which allowed a bad actor to own the centos.org domain, leaving the Caos Foundation with no... Source: over 4 years ago
Context: I started learning Linux on Fedora last year. Last week, I started digging into RHEL, CentOS, oVirt, and such to set up a homelab. Frankly, it was a series of let downs. CentOS Stream, and CentOS.org, were so buggy I couldn't even install it. Then I learned what Stream was and how Red Hat (IBM) killed off CentOS downstream. Then I got Rocky Linux and learned the hard way that RHEL removed drivers for... Source: over 4 years ago
You should stop listening to what people tell you and start learning yourself. There are plenty of announcements, records, explanations etc. On centos.org and on redhat.com covering "the changes". So you were told Red Hat abandoned the project - it's the opposite. CentOS is moving closer to RHEL than it ever was - it's build is now tied to the build of RHEL, not independent and a lot more. The announcement was... Source: about 5 years ago
CentOS has historically distinguished itself as a robust and reliable Linux distribution, often selected for server environments due to its close relationship with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). However, recent shifts in strategy and support have sparked critical public discourse, both positive and negative, around its utility and future standing.
CentOS has undergone a significant transition with the introduction of CentOS Stream. Initially, CentOS operated as a downstream build of RHEL, offering a free, stable, and unsupported version of RHEL. The strategic pivot to CentOS Stream reframes it as a rolling upstream platform for RHEL, a move that has diverged from its traditional release model. This change has created a dichotomy within its user base: some appreciate the closer alignment with RHEL, while others express dissatisfaction due to the perceived instability typically associated with rolling releases.
Public sentiment reveals apprehension regarding the cessation of CentOS 8 regular updates and a contentious discourse around CentOS Stream's integration. Users express disillusionment about streamlining that feels less consistent with legacy CentOS promises. For example, the shift from "rolling" to "continuous" updates in the vernacular, and the subsequent perception of instability, has led some users to reconsider their reliance on CentOS for critical production environments. Additionally, solutions like OpenLogic CentOS LTS offer extended support, alleviating some concerns by providing updates post-End-of-Life (EOL) for versions 6 and 8, which aids businesses in long-term planning but charges a premium for this assurance.
On a functional level, CentOS has been praised for applications like CentOS Web Panel (CWP), which provides a streamlined web hosting management experience. CWPโs exclusivity to the CentOS operating system showcases its appeal within specific niches where stability is paramount and aligns with enterprises reliant on CentOSโs proven infrastructure.
Many in the development community continue to advocate for CentOS due to its strong capabilities in high availability clustering and substantial package repositories. Its comparison to Fedora and the availability of a rich Red Hat Software Collection emphasize its value among developers for whom stability and scalability are key.
Contrary narratives highlight significant dissatisfaction linked to management disputes and project governance issues, raising questions about Red Hatโs commitment and maneuvering in the CentOS ecosystem. Renowned leaders like Greg Kurtzer have publicly departed over these strategic and legal disputes, fueling alternative projects like Rocky Linux, which seek to reclaim CentOS's former glory as a community-driven endeavor.
In conclusion, CentOS stands at a crossroads, retaining its value proposition in specific use cases while requiring adept navigation and consideration of emerging alternatives by its users. The commitment to understanding these evolving landscapes, both technically and strategically, remains critical for stakeholders relying on CentOS for their enterprise or developmental needs. While perspectives may vary dramatically, it's clear that the CentOS domain continues to be dynamic, with open-source culture at its heart.
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