CentOS
{{Short description|Linux distribution based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux}}
{{About|the discontinued operating system|the similarly-named but more upstream-focused distribution|CentOS Stream|the Polish-Jewish children's-aid society|CENTOS (charity)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = CentOS
| logo = Centos-logo-light.svg
| logo size = 300px
| screenshot = File:CentOS 8.5 screenshot.png
| caption = GNOME Shell as the default desktop environment in CentOS 8.5
| developer = The CentOS Project
(affiliated with Red Hat)
| working state = Discontinued
| source model = Open source
| released = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2004|05|14}}
| discontinued = Yes
| marketing target = Servers, desktop computers, workstations, supercomputers
| language =
| update model = Release Candidate
| package manager = dnf (command line); PackageKit (graphical); .rpm (binaries format)
| supported platforms = x86-64, ARM64, and ppc64le{{Efn|CentOS versions older than 7.0-1406 had official support for i686 with Physical Address Extension (PAE), additional architectures were supported in the versions older than 4.7, and currently are provided by AltArch Special Interest Group}}
| kernel type = Monolithic (Linux kernel)
| succeeded by = CentOS Stream, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux
| ui = Bash, GNOME Shell{{Cite web |url=https://computingforgeeks.com/centos-released-centos-8-new-features/ |title=CentOS 8 rolls out - Here are CentOS 8 New features |last=Kibet |first=John |date=25 September 2019 |website=Computing for Geeks |access-date=6 October 2019}}
| license = GNU GPL and other licenses
| website = {{URL|https://centos.org/}}
}}
CentOS ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɛ|n|t|ɒ|s}}, from Community Enterprise Operating System; also known as CentOS Linux){{Cite web |url=https://community.redhat.com/blog/2015/09/community-profile-centos-project/ |title=Community Profile–CentOS Project {{!}} Open Source Community |website=community.redhat.com |access-date=10 September 2019}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.centos.org/forums/ |title=CentOS Forums - Index page |website=centos.org |access-date=10 September 2019}} is a discontinued Linux distribution that provided a free and open-source community-supported computing platform, functionally compatible with its upstream source, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.centos.org/FAQ/General#head-4b2dd1ea6dcc1243d6e3886dc3e5d1ebb252c194 |title=Frequently Asked Questions about CentOS in general: 1. What is CentOS Linux? |date=12 October 2014 |website=centos.org |access-date=2 November 2014 |archive-date=12 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912091748/https://wiki.centos.org/FAQ/General#head-4b2dd1ea6dcc1243d6e3886dc3e5d1ebb252c194 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=https://community.redhat.com/centos-faq/ |title=Red hat + CentOS |publisher=Red Hat |access-date=15 April 2014}} In January 2014, CentOS announced the official joining with Red Hat while staying independent from RHEL,{{Cite web |url=http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos-announce/2014-January/020100.html |title=CentOS Project joins forces with Red Hat |last=Karanbir Singh |date=7 January 2014 |website=centos.org |access-date=8 January 2014}} under a new CentOS governing board.{{Cite web |url=http://www.centos.org/about/governance/ |title=CentOS Governance |year=2014 |website=centos.org |access-date=8 January 2014}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhHtpdQQEPY | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211107/jhHtpdQQEPY| archive-date=2021-11-07 | url-status=live|title=Karanbir Singh: CentOS Linux: A Continuously integrating platform |last=Karanbir Singh |date=9 December 2014 |via=YouTube |access-date=4 June 2016}}{{cbignore}}
The first CentOS release in May 2004, numbered as CentOS version 2, was forked from RHEL version 2.1AS. Since version 8, CentOS officially supports the x86-64, ARM64, and POWER8 architectures, and releases up to version 6 also supported the IA-32 architecture. {{As of|2015|12}}, AltArch releases of CentOS 7 are available for the IA-32 architecture, Power ISA, and for the ARMv7hl and AArch64 variants of the ARM architecture.{{Cite web |url=https://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos-announce/2015-December/021556.html |title=[CentOS-announce] Release for CentOS AltArch 7 (1511) |last=Singh |first=Karanbir |date=19 December 2015 |access-date=24 December 2015}}{{Cite web |url=https://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos-announce/2015-August/021275.html |title=[CentOS-announce] Release for CentOS 7 on AArch64 |last=Perrin |first=Jim |date=4 August 2015 |access-date=1 November 2015}} CentOS 8 was released on 24 September 2019.
In December 2020, Red Hat unilaterally terminated CentOS development{{Cite web |url=https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/26/killing_centos/ |title=The killing of CentOS Linux: 'The CentOS board doesn't get to decide what Red Hat engineering teams do' | date=26 Jan 2021 |work=The Register |access-date=8 Mar 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/12/centos-shifts-from-red-hat-unbranded-to-red-hat-beta/|title=CentOS Linux is dead—and Red Hat says Stream is "not a replacement"|date=10 December 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/12/centos-linux-is-gone-but-its-refugees-have-alternatives/|title=Where do I go now that CentOS Linux is gone? Check our list|date=11 December 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/01/on-the-death-of-centos-red-hat-liaison-brian-exelbierd-speaks/|title=Why Red Hat killed CentOS—a CentOS board member speaks|date=26 January 2021}} in favor of CentOS Stream 9, a distribution positioned upstream of RHEL.{{Cite web |last=Vaughan-Nichols |first=Steven J. |title=CentOS Linux 8 is about to die. What do you do next? |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/centos-linux-8-is-about-to-die-what-do-you-do-next/ |access-date=2021-12-22 |website=ZDNet |language=en}} In March 2021, CloudLinux (makers of CloudLinux OS) released a RHEL derivative called AlmaLinux.{{cite web |last1=Vinogradov |first1=Alexander |title=Announcing Open-sourced & Community-Driven RHEL Fork by CloudLinux |url=https://blog.cloudlinux.com/announcing-open-sourced-community-driven-rhel-fork-by-cloudlinux |website=cloudlinux.com |access-date=28 January 2021}} Later in May 2021, one of the CentOS founders (Gregory Kurtzer) created the competing Rocky Linux project as a successor to the original mission of CentOS.{{cite web |author=Anderson, Tim |date=10 December 2020 |title=Rocky Linux is go: CentOS founder's new project aims to be 100% compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux |url=https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/10/rocky_linux |access-date=12 December 2020 |publisher=The Register}}
History
CentOS originated as a build of CAOS Linux, an RPM-based Linux distribution started by Gregory Kurtzer in 2002.{{Cite web |url=http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7239/ |title=Caos NSA and Perceus: All-in-one Cluster Software Stack |last=Jeffrey B. Layton |date=5 February 2009 |work=Linux Magazine |access-date=7 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210040738/http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7239/ |archive-date=10 February 2015 |url-status=usurped}}{{Cite web|url=https://gmkurtzer.github.io/|title=Gregory M. Kurtzer|website=gmkurtzer.github.io}}{{Cite web|url=https://readyspace.com.hk/greg-kurtzer-founder-of-the-centos-project/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201071217/https://readyspace.com.hk/greg-kurtzer-founder-of-the-centos-project/ |archive-date=1 February 2021 |url-status=dead |title=Greg Kurtzer: Founder of the CentOS Project |website=ReadySpace |date=4 March 2019 |first=Alex |last=Yau}} Infiscale described its GravityOS as "[including] the small footprint of Caos",[https://web.archive.org/web/20131006005709/http://infiscale.com/html/products.html Infiscale Product page in November 2013] indicating a certain level of influence from the discontinued distribution.
In June 2006, David Parsley, the primary developer of Tao Linux (another RHEL clone), announced the retirement of Tao Linux and its rolling into CentOS development. Tao users migrated to the CentOS release via {{mono|yum update}}.{{Cite web |url=http://www.centos.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=135 |title=Retirement of TaoLinux |website=centos.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512195648/http://www.centos.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=135 |archive-date=12 May 2013 |access-date=21 May 2014}}
In July 2009, it was reported in an open letter on the CentOS Project web site that one of CentOS's founders, Lance Davis, had disappeared in 2008. Davis had ceased contribution to the project, but continued to hold the registration for the CentOS domain and PayPal account. In August 2009, the CentOS team reportedly made contact with Davis and obtained the centos.info and centos.org domains.{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/centos-getting-their-st-together-is-a-top-priority/|title=CentOS: Getting Their S#!t Together is a Top Priority|first=Jason|last=Perlow|website=ZDNet}}
In July 2010, CentOS overtook Debian to become the most popular Linux distribution for web servers, with almost 30% of all Linux web servers using it.{{Cite web |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2468596/network-software/the-most-popular-linux-for-web-servers-is----.html |title=The most popular Linux for Web servers is ... |website=Computerworld |date=26 July 2010 |format=blog}} Debian retook the lead in January 2012.{{Cite web |url=http://w3techs.com/blog/entry/debian_is_now_the_most_popular_linux_distribution_on_web_servers |title=Debian is now the most popular Linux distribution on web servers |website=w3techs.com}}
In January 2014, Red Hat announced that it would sponsor the CentOS Project, "helping to establish a platform well-suited to the needs of open source developers that integrate technologies in and around the operating system".{{Cite web |url=http://www.redhat.com/about/news/press-archive/2014/1/red-hat-and-centos-join-forces |title=Red Hat and the CentOS Project Join Forces to Speed Open Source Innovation |date=7 January 2015 |publisher=Red Hat |access-date=8 January 2014 |quote=Red Hat is once again extending its leadership in open source innovation by helping to establish a platform well-suited to the needs of open source developers that integrate technologies in and around the operating system.}} As a result of these changes, ownership of CentOS trademarks was transferred to Red Hat,{{Cite web |url=http://community.redhat.com/centos-faq/#_centos_trademark |title=Red Hat + CentOS - CentOS Trademark |publisher=Red Hat |access-date=9 January 2014}} which now employs most of the CentOS head developers; however, they work as part of Red Hat's Open Source and Standards team, which operates separately from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux team. A new CentOS governing board was also established.
On 8 December 2020, the CentOS Project announced that the distribution would be discontinued at the end of 2021 in order to focus on CentOS Stream.{{Cite web|title=CentOS Project ending support for CentOS 8 at the end of 2021.|url=https://blog.centos.org/2020/12/future-is-centos-stream/|url-status=live|website=blog.centos.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208140309/https://blog.centos.org/2020/12/future-is-centos-stream/ |archive-date=8 December 2020 }} The community's response to this announcement was overwhelmingly negative. Soon thereafter, Gregory Kurtzer (one of CentOS's founders) announced a new project to continue the original CentOS focus, which became known as Rocky Linux. CloudLinux created AlmaLinux to provide a community-supported successor to CentOS Linux, aiming for binary-compatibility with the current version of RHEL.{{Cite web|last=AlmaLinux|date=January 26, 2021|title=Frequently asked questions|url=https://wiki.almalinux.org/FAQ.html|access-date=April 22, 2021}} A beta version of AlmaLinux was first released on February 1, 2021,{{Cite press release |date=February 1, 2021 |title=CloudLinux Releases AlmaLinux Beta |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005763/en/CloudLinux-Releases-AlmaLinux-Beta |access-date=April 22, 2021}} and the first stable release of AlmaLinux was published on March 30, 2021.{{Cite web |last=Vaughan-Nichols, Steven J. |date=March 30, 2021 |title=CloudLinux Launches AlmaLinux, CentOS Linux clone |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/cloudlinux-launches-almalinux-centos-linux-clone/ |access-date=April 22, 2021 |publisher=ZDNet}} A beta version of Rocky Linux was released on April 30, 2021,{{Cite web|date=2021-04-30|title=Rocky Linux 8.3 RC1 Available Now|url=https://rockylinux.org/news/rocky-linux-8-3-rc1-release/|access-date=2021-05-01|website=Rocky Linux|language=en}} and subsequently on June 21, 2021, the stable release of Rocky Linux 8.4 was released.{{Cite web|date=2021-06-21|title=Rocky Linux 8.4 Available Now|url=https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/rocky-linux-8-4-available-now/3015/1|access-date=2021-06-21|website=Rocky Linux|language=en}}
Design
CentOS developers use Red Hat's source code to create a final product very similar to RHEL. Red Hat's branding and logos are changed because Red Hat does not allow them to be redistributed.{{Cite web |url=http://www.redhat.com/licenses/rhel_rha_eula.html |title=Red Hat License Agreements |publisher=Red Hat |access-date=1 June 2008}} CentOS is available free of charge. Technical support is primarily provided by the community via official mailing lists, web forums, and chat rooms.
The project is affiliated with Red Hat but aspires to be more public, open, and inclusive. While Red Hat employs most of the CentOS head developers, the CentOS Project itself relies on donations from users and organizational sponsors.
Versioning and releases
= CentOS releases =
CentOS version numbers for releases older than 7.0 have two parts, a major version and a minor version, which correspond to the major version and update set of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) used to build a particular CentOS release. For example, CentOS 6.5 is built from the source packages of RHEL 6 update 5 (also known as RHEL version 6.5), which is a so-called "point release" of RHEL 6.{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.centos.org/FAQ/General#head-6e2c3746ec45ac3142917466760321e868f43c0e |title=What is the versioning/release scheme of CentOS and how does it compare to the upstream vendor? |website=centos.org |access-date=21 May 2014 |archive-date=12 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912091748/https://wiki.centos.org/FAQ/General#head-6e2c3746ec45ac3142917466760321e868f43c0e |url-status=dead }}
Starting with version 7.0, CentOS version numbers also include a third part that indicates the monthstamp of the source code the release is based on. For example, version number 7.0-1406 still maps this CentOS release to the zeroth update set of RHEL 7, while "1406" indicates that the source code this release is based on dates from June 2014. Using the monthstamp allows installation images to be reissued for ({{As of|2014|7|lc=yes}}) oncoming container and cloud releases, while maintaining a connection to the related base release version.
Since mid-2006 and starting with RHEL version 4.4, which is formally known as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 update 4, Red Hat has adopted a version-naming convention identical to that used by CentOS (for example, RHEL 4.5 or RHEL 6.5).{{Cite web |url=http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/FAQ_80_10667.shtm |title=Red Hat Enterprise Linux > AS/ES/WS Basics |publisher=Red Hat |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014193548/http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/FAQ_80_10667.shtm |archive-date=14 October 2008 |access-date=26 May 2014}}
On 10 September 2019 CentOS deferred CentOS 8.1 work for CentOS 7.7 since CentOS 7.x was in production and CentOS 8.x was not in production. Once CentOS 7.7 was released resources moved back to CentOS 8.0.
On 24 September 2019 CentOS officially released CentOS version 8.0. Since CentOS was discontinued at the end of 2021, its final release was version 8.5 (2021-11-16). In contrast, its RHEL counterpart continued to version 8.10 (as of 2024-09).
== End-of-support schedule ==
According to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) life cycle,{{Cite web |url=https://access.redhat.com/site/support/policy/updates/errata |title=Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle |publisher=Red Hat |access-date=9 November 2013}} CentOS 5, 6 and 7 will be "maintained for up to 10 years" as it is based on RHEL.{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.centos.org/ |title=CentOS Wiki Frontpage |last=CentOS team |date=22 September 2012 |access-date=31 August 2016 |quote=Each CentOS version is maintained perhaps for up to 10 years (by means of security updates -- the duration of the support interval by Red Hat has varied over time with respect to Sources released). A new CentOS version is released approximately every 2 years and each CentOS version is periodically updated (roughly every 6 months) to support newer hardware.}} Previously, CentOS 4 had been supported for seven years.{{Cite web |url=http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos-announce/2012-February/018462.html |title=CentOS-4 i386 and x86_64 End of Life (EOL) |last=CentOS team}}
== Older version information ==
=== CentOS version 7 ===
== Latest version information ==
=== CentOS version 8 ===
= {{Anchor|ALTARCH}}AltArch releases =
AltArch releases are released by the Alternative Architecture Special Interest Group (AltArch SIG) to support architectures that are not supported by the base CentOS releases.
| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
! scope="col" | CentOS version ! scope="col" | Architectures ! scope="col" | RHEL base ! scope="col" | CentOS release date |
| scope="row" rowspan="2" | 7.1-1503
| AArch64 | rowspan="2" | 7.1 |
|---|
| IA-32 |
| scope="row" rowspan="4" | 7.2-1511
| IA-32 | rowspan="4" | 7.2 |
| ARMv7hl |
| PowerPC64 (TechPreview) |
| POWER8 (le) (TechPreview) |
| scope="row" rowspan="4" | 7.3-1611
| ARMv7hl | rowspan="4" | 7.3 | 2016-12-14 |
| POWER8 (le)
| 2016-12-22 |
| AArch64
| 2017-01-04 |
| IA-32
| 2017-01-27 |
| scope="row" rowspan="5" | 7.4-1708
| ARMv7hl | rowspan="5" | 7.4 |
| POWER8 (le) |
| POWER7 |
| AArch64 |
| IA-32 |
| scope="row" rowspan="5" | 7.5-1804
| ARMv7hl | rowspan="5" | 7.5 |
| POWER8 LE |
| POWER7 |
| AArch64 |
| IA-32 |
| scope="row" rowspan="5" | 7.6-1810
| ARMv7hl | rowspan="5" | 7.6 |
| POWER8 (le) |
| PowerPC9 |
| AArch64 |
| IA-32 |
| scope="row" rowspan="6" | 7.7-1908
| ARMv7hl | rowspan="6" | 7.7 |
| POWER7 |
| POWER8 (le) |
| POWER9 |
| AArch64 |
| IA-32 |
= {{Anchor|SCL}}Add-ons releases =
Software Collections (SCL) is a CentOS repository that provides a set of programming languages, database servers, and various related packages. Provided software versions are either more recent than their equivalent versions included in the base CentOS distribution, or are made available as official CentOS packages for the first time.{{Cite web |url=http://dev.centos.org/centos/6/SCL/docs/ |title=Software Collections 1.0: Release Notes |website=centos.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102000443/http://dev.centos.org/centos/6/SCL/docs/ |archive-date=2 November 2013 |access-date=30 October 2013 |df=dmy-all}} (See also the list of CentOS repositories below.)
Packages available from the SCL do not replace the default system tools provided with CentOS. Instead, a parallel set of tools is installed in the {{Mono|/opt}} directory, and can be optionally enabled per application by using supplied {{Mono|scl}} utility. For example, the default versions of Perl or MySQL remain those provided by the base CentOS installation.
= Releases without upstream equivalents =
Some of the ISO images released by the CentOS Project have no direct upstream equivalents. They are created for specific purposes, such as for providing a live bootable image, or for providing a reduced-size installation medium. In addition to those listed below, there are also AltArch releases, which also have no direct upstream equivalents.
LiveCD and LiveDVD images contain a bootable compressed file system, created by a set of custom scripts{{Cite web |url=http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FedoraLiveCD |title=FedoraLiveCD |website=fedoraproject.org |access-date=30 October 2013}} using a kickstart configuration file.{{Cite web |url=https://projects.centos.org/trac/livecd/ |title=CentOS LiveCD Project |website=centos.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616224510/https://projects.centos.org/trac/livecd/ |archive-date=16 June 2013 |access-date=30 October 2013 |df=dmy-all}} These live images can be also installed to hard disk, thus obtaining a fully functional CentOS installation. The set of packages installed that way on a hard disk can not be adjusted during the installation, as that is a simple transfer of the image existing on CD/DVD, to a hard disk. After booting from hard disk, yum can be used for adding or removing packages.{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.centos.org/Manuals/ReleaseNotes/CentOSLiveDVD6.4 |title=CentOS LiveDVD 6.4 Release Notes |date=17 May 2013 |website=centos.org |access-date=30 October 2013}}
MinimalCD images contain a minimum of packages required for a functional installation, with no compromises in security or network usability. These minimal images use the standard CentOS installer with all of its regular features minus the selection of packages. Yum can be used after the installation is completed to add or remove packages.{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.centos.org/Manuals/ReleaseNotes/CentOSMinimalCD6.0 |title=CentOS MinimalCD 6.0 Release Notes |date=5 October 2011 |website=centos.org |access-date=30 October 2013}}{{Cite web |url=http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos-announce/2011-July/017660.html |title=Release for CentOS-6.0 Minimal i386 and x86_64 |last=Karanbir Singh |date=28 July 2011 |access-date=29 July 2011}}
| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
! scope="col" | CentOS version ! scope="col" | Release name ! scope="col" | Architectures ! scope="col" | RHEL base ! scope="col" | CentOS release date |
| scope="row" | 4.7
| Server | IA-32, x86-64 | 4.7 |
|---|
| scope="row" | 5.1
| Live CD | IA-32 | 5.1 |
| scope="row" | 5.2
| Live CD | IA-32 | 5.2 |
| scope="row" | 5.3
| Live CD | IA-32 | 5.3 |
| scope="row" | 5.5
| Live CD | IA-32, x86-64 | 5.5 |
| scope="row" | 5.6
| Live CD | IA-32, x86-64 | 5.6 |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 6.0
| Live CD | rowspan="3" | IA-32, x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 6.0 |
| Live DVD |
| Minimal CD |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 6.1
| Live CD | rowspan="3" | IA-32, x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 6.1 |
| Live DVD |
| Minimal CD |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 6.2
| Live CD | rowspan="3" | IA-32, x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 6.2 |
| Live DVD |
| Minimal CD |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 6.3
| Minimal CD | rowspan="3" | IA-32, x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 6.3 |
| Live CD
| 2012-07-15 |
| Live DVD
| 2012-07-15 |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 6.4
| Minimal CD | rowspan="3" | IA-32, x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 6.4 |
| Live CD |
| Live DVD |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 6.5
| Minimal CD | rowspan="3" | IA-32, x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 6.5 |
| Live CD |
| Live DVD |
| scope="row" | 6.6
| Minimal CD | IA-32, x86-64 | 6.6 |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 6.7
| Minimal CD | rowspan="3" | IA-32, x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 6.7 |
| Live CD |
| Live DVD |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 6.8
| Minimal CD | rowspan="3" | IA-32, x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 6.8 |
| Live CD |
| Live DVD |
| scope="row" rowspan="2" | 6.9
| Minimal CD | rowspan="2" | IA-32, x86-64 | rowspan="2" | 6.9 |
| Live DVD |
| scope="row" rowspan="2" | 6.10
| Minimal CD | rowspan="2" | IA-32, x86-64 | rowspan="2" | 6.10 |
| Live DVD |
| scope="row" rowspan="4" | 7.0-1406{{Cite web |url=http://vault.centos.org/7.0.1406/isos/x86_64/0_README.txt |title=List of images in /7.0.1406/isos/x86_64 directory |date=14 December 2015 |website=centos.org |access-date=14 December 2015}}
| Minimal | rowspan="4" | x86-64 | rowspan="4" | 7.0 |
| Live CD |
| Gnome Live |
| KDE Live |
| scope="row" rowspan="4" | 7.1-1503{{Cite web |url=http://vault.centos.org/7.1.1503/isos/x86_64/0_README.txt |title=List of images in /centos/7.1.1503/isos/x86_64/ directory |date=1 April 2015 |website=centos.org |access-date=14 October 2019}} Updated 18 April 2020
| Minimal | rowspan="4" | x86-64 | rowspan="4" | 7.1 |
| Live CD |
| Gnome Live |
| KDE Live |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 7.2-1511{{Cite web |url=http://vault.centos.org/7.2.1511/isos/x86_64/0_README.txt |title=List of images in /centos/7.2.1511/isos/x86_64/ directory |date=14 December 2015 |website=centos.org |access-date=14 October 2019}} Updated 18 April 2020
| Minimal | rowspan="3" | x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 7.2 |
| Gnome Live |
| KDE Live |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 7.3-1611{{Cite web |url=http://vault.centos.org/7.3.1611/isos/x86_64/0_README.txt |title=List of images in /centos/7.3.1611/isos/x86_64/ directory |date=8 December 2016 |website=centos.org |access-date=14 October 2019}} Updated 18 April 2020
| Minimal | rowspan="3" | x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 7.3 |
| Gnome Live |
| KDE Live |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 7.4-1708{{Cite web |url=http://vault.centos.org/7.4.1708/isos/x86_64/0_README.txt |title=List of images in /centos/7.4.1708/isos/x86_64/ directory |date=13 September 2017 |website=centos.org |access-date=14 October 2019}} Updated 18 April 2020
| Minimal | rowspan="3" | x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 7.4 |
| Gnome Live |
| KDE Live |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 7.5-1804{{Cite web |url=http://vault.centos.org/7.5.1804/isos/x86_64/0_README.txt |title=List of images in /centos/7.5.1804/isos/x86_64/ directory |date=9 May 2018 |website=centos.org |access-date=14 October 2019}} Updated 18 April 2020
| Minimal | rowspan="3" | x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 7.5 |
| Gnome Live |
| KDE Live |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 7.6-1810{{Cite web |url=http://vault.centos.org/7.6.1810/isos/x86_64/0_README.txt |title=List of images in /centos/7.6.1810/isos/x86_64/ directory |date=9 May 2018 |website=centos.org |access-date=14 October 2019}} Updated 18 April 2020
| Minimal | rowspan="3" | x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 7.6 |
| Gnome Live |
| KDE Live |
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 7.7-1908{{Cite web |url=http://isoredirect.centos.org/centos/7.7.1908/isos/x86_64/ |title=List of mirrors in /centos/7.7.1908/isos/x86_64/ directory |date=17 September 2019 |website=centos.org |access-date=18 April 2020}}
| Minimal | rowspan="3" | x86-64 | rowspan="3" | 7.7 |
| Gnome Live |
| KDE Live |
{{Anchor|SIGS}}Special interest groups
Special interest groups (SIGs) are organized portions of the CentOS community that open paths for building specialized variants of CentOS, which fulfill specific sets of requirements. SIGs have the freedom to modify and enhance CentOS in various ways, including adding more cutting-edge software, rebuilding existing packages depending on the requirements, providing alternative desktop environments, or making CentOS available on otherwise unsupported architectures.{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.centos.org/SpecialInterestGroup |title=Special Interest Groups |date=17 November 2014 |website=centos.org |access-date=2 January 2015}}
Architectures
As of version 8, CentOS fully supports x86-64, POWER8 and 64-bit ARM architectures,{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.centos.org/About/Product |title=About/Product - CentOS Wiki |website=CentOS Wiki |access-date=18 April 2013 |archive-date=24 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924101625/https://wiki.centos.org/About/Product |url-status=dead }} while the following architectures are not supported:
- IA-32 in all variants, not supported since CentOS 7
- IA-32 without Physical Address Extension (PAE), not supported since CentOS 6
- IA-64 (Intel Itanium architecture), was supported in CentOS 3 and 4
- 32-bit PowerPC (Apple Macintosh and PowerMac running the G3 or G4 PowerPC processor), beta support was available in CentOS 4
- IBM Mainframe (eServer zSeries and S/390), not supported since CentOS 5
- Alpha, support was available in CentOS 4
- SPARC, beta support was available in CentOS 4
{{As of|2015|12}}, AltArch releases of CentOS 7 are available for the ARMv7hl and AArch64 variants of the ARM architecture, and plans exist for supporting other variants of the ARM architecture. ARM support is a community effort coordinated through the AltArch SIG.{{Cite web |url=http://www.karan.org/blog/2014/03/26/the-arm-plan-for-centos/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330012739/http://www.karan.org/blog/2014/03/26/the-arm-plan-for-centos/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 March 2014 |title=The ARM plan for CentOS |last=Singh |first=Karanbir |date=26 March 2014 |access-date=27 November 2014 }} AltArch releases of CentOS 7 are also available for the IA-32 architecture and Power ISA (POWER7 and POWER8 chips).
A Live CD version of CentOS is available at mirror.centos.org. A bootable Live USB image of CentOS can be created manually or with UNetbootin.
CentOS images are also available on Amazon's EC2 cloud, in form of prebuilt and already published Amazon Machine Images (AMIs).{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.centos.org/Cloud/AWS |title=Cloud/AWS (CentOS documentation) |website=centos.org |access-date=18 October 2013}}{{Cite web |url=http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos-announce/2013-June/019802.html |title=[CentOS-announce] Updated AMI's for Amazon EC2 are now available |date=21 June 2013 |website=centos.org |access-date=18 October 2013}}
{{Anchor|REPOS}}Repositories
There are three primary CentOS repositories (also known as channels), containing software packages that make up the main CentOS distribution:{{Cite web |url=https://www.centos.org/docs/5/html/yum/sn-software-management-concepts.html#sn-about-repositories |title=Software Management Concepts: About Repositories (CentOS 5 manual) |date=24 November 2005 |website=centos.org |access-date=16 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117184551/http://www.centos.org/docs/5/html/yum/sn-software-management-concepts.html#sn-about-repositories |archive-date=17 November 2014 |url-status=dead }}
base: contains packages that form CentOS point releases, and gets updated when the actual point release is formally made available in form of ISO images.updates: contains packages that serve as security, bugfix or enhancement updates, issued between the regular update sets for point releases. Bugfix and enhancement updates released this way are only those unsuitable to be released through theCentOS-Fasttrackrepository described below.{{Cite web |url=http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos/2006-April/020826.html |title=[CentOS] CentOS FastTrack repository |last=Johnny Hughes |date=6 April 2006 |website=lists.centos.org |access-date=8 October 2013}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.redhat.com/archives/nahant-list/2006-April/msg00003.html |title=Re: Fastrack channels? |last=Jay Turner |date=3 April 2006 |website=redhat.com |access-date=16 December 2014 |archive-date=20 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820165132/https://www.redhat.com/archives/nahant-list/2006-April/msg00003.html |url-status=dead }}addons: provides packages required for building the packages that make up the main CentOS distribution, but are not provided by the upstream.{{Efn|This repository does not exist from CentOS 6.}}
The CentOS Project provides several additional repositories that contain software packages not provided by the default base and updates repositories. Those repositories include the following:{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.centos.org/AdditionalResources/Repositories |title=Available Repositories for CentOS |website=centos.org |access-date=8 October 2013}}
CentOS Extras: contains packages that provide additional functionality to CentOS without breaking its upstream compatibility or updating the base components.CentOSPlus: contains packages that actually upgrade certain base CentOS components, changing CentOS so that it is not exactly like the upstream provider's content.CentOS-Testing: serves as a proving ground for packages on their way toCentOSPlusandCentOS Extras. Offered packages may or may not replace core CentOS packages, and are not guaranteed to work properly.CentOS-Fasttrack: contains bugfix and enhancement updates issued from time to time, between the regular update sets for point releases. The packages released this way serve as close candidates for the inclusion into the next point release. This repository does not provide security updates, and does not contain packages unsuitable for uncertain inclusion into point releases.{{Cite web |url=http://www.redhat.com/rhn/rhndetails/fastrack/ |title=Red Hat Network (RHN) FasTrack |publisher=Red Hat |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103063411/http://www.redhat.com/rhn/rhndetails/fastrack/ |archive-date=3 January 2015 |access-date=16 December 2014 |df=dmy-all}}CR(Continuous Release) : makes generally available packages that will appear in the next point release of CentOS. The packages are made available on a testing and hotfix basis, until the actual point release is formally released in form of ISO images.{{Cite web |url=http://wiki.centos.org/AdditionalResources/Repositories/CR |title=The Continuous Release (CR) Repository |website=centos.org |access-date=8 October 2013 |archive-date=1 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101004151/https://wiki.centos.org/AdditionalResources/Repositories/CR |url-status=dead }}debuginfo: Contains packages with debugging symbols generated when the primary packages were built.contrib: Contains packages contributed by CentOS users that do not overlap with any of the core distribution packages.Software Collections: Provides versions of software newer than those provided by the base distribution, see above for more details.
{{Anchor|Stream}}CentOS Stream
{{Main|CentOS Stream}}
{{wikinews|Red Hat to move focus away from CentOS in favour of Stream; CentOS team discuss implications with Wikinews}}
CentOS Stream is a "continuously delivered distro that tracks just ahead of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) development, positioned as a midstream between Fedora Linux and RHEL."{{Cite web|url=https://centos.org|title=The CentOS Project|website=centos.org}} which is designed for "anyone interested in participating and collaborating in the RHEL ecosystem".
Because prior CentOS releases were derived directly from RHEL (RHEL was essentially upstream of CentOS), Stream thus represents a change from prior CentOS releases, being situated between the upstream development in Fedora and the downstream development for RHEL. That said, CentOS Stream 9 and RHEL 9 started from the same codebase{{Cite web|url=https://blog.centos.org/2021/12/introducing-centos-stream-9/|title=Introducing CentOS Stream 9|website=blog.centos.org}} and thus CentOS Stream could reasonably be seen as "closer" to RHEL than Fedora.
The initial release, CentOS Stream 8, was released on 24 September 2019, at the same time as CentOS 8.{{Cite web|url=https://wiki.centos.org/Manuals/ReleaseNotes/CentOSStream|title=Manuals/ReleaseNotes/CentOSStream - CentOS Wiki|website=wiki.centos.org|access-date=7 September 2020|archive-date=12 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812025242/https://wiki.centos.org/Manuals/ReleaseNotes/CentOSStream|url-status=dead}} As CentOS 8 became unsupported, The CentOS Project provided a simple means of converting from CentOS Linux 8 to CentOS Stream 8.{{Cite web|url=https://centos.org/news-and-events/convert-to-stream-8/|title=Convert to CentOS Stream 8|website=centos.org}}
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.centos.org/}}
{{Fedora Linux derivatives}}
{{Linux distributions}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:ARM Linux distributions
Category:Enterprise Linux distributions
Category:IA-32 Linux distributions
Category:Power ISA Linux distributions
Category:RPM-based Linux distributions