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Guilherme Mazui

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What is the Difference Between CentOS and RedHat?

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The main difference between CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is that CentOS is a community-developed, free alternative to Red Hat, which is a commercial solution requiring a paid subscription. Both CentOS and RHEL share the same source code, but they differ in several aspects:

  1. Support: CentOS is supported by the community, while Red Hat offers subscription-based services and official support. Large organizations typically prefer Red Hat for its paid support and service.
  2. Cost: CentOS is free and open-source, while RHEL requires a paid subscription.
  3. Lifecycle: The lifecycle of CentOS matches that of RHEL, with updates being published for 10 years.
  4. Packages: Packages built for CentOS are generally the same as those in RHEL, but they may have some differences in the contents and behavior of the programs.
  5. Support Structure: CentOS support is provided by the goodwill of other users and contributors, while RHEL support is provided by full-time engineers and staff.

In summary, CentOS is a free, community-supported Linux distribution that shares the same source code as RHEL. RHEL, on the other hand, is a commercial solution with official support and a paid subscription model. The differences between CentOS and RHEL mainly lie in support, cost, and support structure.

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  • What is the Difference Between CentOS and RedHat?
  • Comparative Table: CentOS vs RedHat

    • Comparative Table: CentOS vs RedHat

    Here is a table comparing the differences between CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL):

    Feature CentOS RHEL
    Type Community-supported, free alternative Commercial solution requiring a paid subscription
    Support Support comes from the community of users Official support and updates provided by Red Hat
    Source Code Exactly the same source code as RHEL, but published on CentOS Git servers Modified in-house by Red Hat and published on CentOS Git servers
    Lifecycle Matches RHEL's lifecycle (e.g., 10 years of updates, 5 years of full support) Matches RHEL's lifecycle (e.g., 10 years of updates, 5 years of full support)
    Compatibility Functionally compatible with RHEL Compatible with CentOS, but may have additional features and optimizations
    Security Community-driven security enhancements Commercial-grade security with dedicated support
    Target Audience Organizations comfortable with community-supported distros and not require high-level support Organizations requiring a high level of support and reliability

    CentOS and RHEL share similar functionality and source code, but they differ in terms of support, cost, and target audience. CentOS is a community-supported distribution, making it a free alternative to RHEL, which is a commercial solution requiring a paid subscription. Support for CentOS comes from its community of users, while RHEL is backed by official support from Red Hat. The choice between CentOS and RHEL depends on an organization's specific needs and preferences.

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    Guilherme Mazui

    Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.