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This article will explain in detail what Linux system can replace CentOS 8 on the Linux server in the production environment. The content of the article is of high quality, so the editor shares it for you as a reference. I hope you will have a certain understanding of the relevant knowledge after reading this article.

CentOS is one of the most popular server distributions in the world. It is an open source branch of Red Hat enterprise LinuxRed Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) that provides the benefits of RHEL without the associated costs of RHEL.

Recently, however, things have changed, and Red Hat is converting a stable CentOS to a rolling release mode, in the form of CentOS Stream. CentOS 8 was supposed to be supported until 2029, but now it will be stopped by the end of 2021.

If your server is using CentOS, you may not know where to go.

You see, the first choice to replace CentOS 8 is CentOS Stream. The process of upgrading CentOS 8 to CentOS Stream is simple, and you don't have to worry about reinstalling anything.

However, because CentOS Stream is a rolling release, you may want to consider something more stable for the production server. In this article, I will recommend some Linux systems to help you make this decision.

RHEL-based server Linux distribution, which you can consider to replace CentOS

I'll start with some branch versions of RHEL that are under development, whose sole purpose is to replace CentOS 8. After that, I'll list the server distributions you can use right away.

Rocky Linux (under development)

On the same day that Red Hat announced plans to replace the stable CentOS 8 with a rolling release of CentOS Stream, the original developers of CentOS announced a new project to provide RHEL branches for CentOS users.

The new project is called Rocky Linux. It is named in honor of one of the co-founders of the original CentOS project. It is branched out from RHEL 8 and aims to be "100% compatible with RHEL".

The project is under rapid development and may not be available at this time. But this is one of the first choices to replace CentOS 8 when support ends at the end of 2021.

Lenix project (under development)

This is another RHEL branch created one day after CentOS Stream was announced as the default version.

The Lenix project was created by CloudLinux, an enterprise-oriented service organization that has been providing customized CentOS servers for many years. Given their years of experience in CentOS and enterprise servers, the Lenix project should be a promising RHEL branch that can replace CentOS Stream.

Oracle Linux

This is probably the only RHEL branch in the list that works best. Not only can you use it at any time, you can even migrate from an existing CentOS installation to Oracle Linux without having to reinstall it.

Oracle Linux has been launched since 2006. Its application binary is 100% compatible with RHEL, and it provides a version corresponding to each RHEL version. Also, you don't need to sign any agreement with Oracle to use Oracle Linux.

Oracle Linux has two Linux kernels to choose from: Oracle Linux's indestructible enterprise kernel Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK) or Red Hat compatible kernel Red Hat Compatible Kernel (RHCK).

However, Oracle has a black history in open source projects, which may be why it chose CentOS as a true community branch rather than Oracle Linux. With CentOS replaced by CentOS Stream, maybe now is the time to give Oracle a chance?

ClearOS (from HP)

ClearOS is provided by Hewlett-Packard on its HPE ProLiant server. Although it is not explicitly mentioned on their website, ClearOS is based on RHEL and CentOS.

Clear Center and HPE collaborated on the project. Open source ClearOS is available to the community free of charge. They have their own app market, a mix of free and paid apps. You don't have to pay for the operating system, but if you choose a paid app, you may have to pay for it.

It may not be so popular, but as CentOS Stream becomes the default, if HP can seize the moment, ClearOS should be able to get some users. Would they do that? I'm not sure. Oracle is trying to attract CentOS users, but I don't see HP's efforts.

Springdale Linux (Princeton University academic Program)

A Red Hat branch maintained by academicians? This is Scientific Linux, right? But Scientific Linux has been dead for over a year.

Springdale Linux (SDL) is another such program at Princeton University. It was formerly known as PUIAS Linux (Princeton University Institute for Advanced Study, Institute of Advanced Studies at Princeton University).

There is no Springdale Linux for RHEL 8 yet, and I think their development speed can be accelerated a little bit.

Server distribution that is not based on Red Hat

Well, so far, Red Hat-based distributions have been mentioned in the list. It's time to take a look at some server distributions that have nothing to do with RHEL but are still a good choice for production servers.

YunoHost (customized for Web servers)

YunoHost is customized based on Debian to provide you with a system that hosts Web servers.

You can use it on ARM boards such as raspberry pie, old desktops and computers, as well as on virtual private servers (VPS).

YunoHost also provides a Web-based management interface (inspired by Webmin? So that you can manage the system graphically This is a great comfort to someone who wants to host a Web server but is not very good at the command line.

Debian Linux

This general-purpose operating system provides a rock-solid server distribution. For those who want a stable system, it is an ideal choice.

If you put too much time and technology into CentOS, you may find that Debian is slightly different, especially the package management system. However, I believe this should not be a big problem for an experienced Linux system administrator.

OpenSUSE

SUSE is one of Red Hat's direct competitors. They provide enterprise-class products in the form of SUSE Linux Enterprise. Their open source product, openSUSE, is also very popular, both in the desktop and server space.

OpenSUSE is a good choice for a server Linux distribution. People today don't understand how SUSE's YAST tools brought relief to users in the 1990s and early 2000s. It is still a convenient tool for managing SUSE systems.

OpenSUSE comes in two forms: a rolling release of Tumbleweed and a stable point release of Leap. I guess what you are pursuing is stability, so Leap is the goal you should pursue.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is the most popular distribution in the world, both on servers and desktops. This is why the list is not complete without Ubuntu.

Because I've been using Ubuntu for a long time, I feel comfortable hosting my Web server on Ubuntu. But that's just my personal opinion. If you are from the RHEL world, the package management system here is different from some network and management components.

The Ubuntu LTS version comes with five years of support, which is half the length provided by the CentOS version. If you don't want to upgrade the version, you can choose to buy paid extension support for the outdated version of LTS.

On what Linux system can replace the production environment of the Linux server CentOS 8 to share here, I hope that the above content can be of some help to you, can learn more knowledge. If you think the article is good, you can share it for more people to see.

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