CentOS will expire in June 2024. As of 2022, it powers numerous servers around the world. In fact, in 2010, CentOS was the most popular Linux server distribution. Based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), CentOS is a reliable Linux operating system that powers enterprise desktops and servers.
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The news of the end of CentOS has generated a lot of interest. Organizations and administrators using the operating system are struggling to find ways to migrate their servers and IT infrastructure from CentOS. Changing server software in batches is not an easy task.
Why was CentOS eliminated?
CentOS was first released in 2004 and is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Ten years later, in 2014, Red Hat acquired CentOS, promising that CentOS would remain autonomous, with Red Hat providing technical and financial support. This purchase alone should ring alarm bells.
In 2019, IBM acquired Red Hat in order to accelerate its cloud business, and with it came a change in their strategy on CentOS. CentOS is no longer a direct copy of RHEL, but an upstream version. A test platform for RHEL, such as Fedora. Also, the new operating system is now called CentOS Stream.
Upstream Linux distributions tend to have the latest and greatest features with shorter release cycles. However, they lack the level of stability required by servers or enterprises, which is where AlmaLinux comes in.
Why choose AlmaLinux?
AlmaLinux is now very similar to CentOS before it. It is a stable and reliable operating system that is 1:1 binary compatible with RHEL. In summary, it is similar to the current RHEL stable release.
AlmaLinux is not only a solid alternative to CentOS, but also an excellent alternative to RHEL. You get an enterprise-grade operating system without the service fees associated with RHEL. This is a functional and tested operating system.
AlmaLinux is definitely a great option for businesses and individuals looking for a great CentOS alternative.
1. Strong financial support
Although AlmaLinux is freely distributed, substantial financial resources are available for software development. You pay for software developers, system administrators, and other administrative logistics.
Fortunately, AlmaLinux is well funded and supported. Some of the top companies supporting AlmaLinux include Amazon, Microsoft, CloudLinux, Equinix, AMD, and more. Long-term maintenance of open source software like AlmaLinux requires solid financial backing. AlmaLinux has a lot of support from cloud service providers because it offers them a good opportunity to migrate easily from CentOS.
Financial concerns aside, AlmaLinux has a large community of developers, testers, and enthusiasts who have contributed to the OS’ development and success.
2. Seamless migration from CentOS
You can easily migrate existing CentOS and RHEL servers to AlmaLinux. The AlmaLinux community has developed almalinux-deploy, a migration tool that helps system administrators convert their existing CentOS installations to AlmaLinux.
almalinux-deploy allows you to easily migrate an entire operating system (including software and configuration) from CentOS or RHEL to AlmaLinux. The entire migration requires only two restarts of your server.
For organizations with hundreds of servers running on CentOS, being able to easily migrate to AlmaLinux with minimal downtime is critical to business continuity.
3. Available on server and desktop
AlmaLinux is available in desktop and server editions. This allows organizations to develop and test software on the same operating system platform that powers their servers.
Additionally, systems administration and other IT management decisions are made easier if most businesses use the same operating system.
If you’ve ever used RHEL or CentOS, you’ll immediately recognize their similarities to AlmaLinux Desktop. And you will not feel strange when using it.
4. Support for multiple major cloud infrastructures
Although relatively new, AlmaLinux already powers large-scale cloud infrastructures and data centers around the world. It is widely used by CloudLinux and other government agencies. You can also create AlmaLinux virtual machines on cloud services such as Azure and AWS.
A look at AlmaLinux’s DistroWatch site also shows that AlmaLinux is becoming more widely used and popular compared to other RHEL derivatives.
4. Other CentOS Alternatives Worth Considering
Another good alternative to CentOS is Rocky Linux. It is also based on RHEL and is very similar to AlmaLinux. Rocky Linux is driven by one of the pioneers who created CentOS. Other early CentOS contributors have also been heavily involved in the development of Rocky Linux.
Like AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux provides a migration tool, migrate2rocky, to help you migrate from CentOS and other RHEL derivatives. According to DistroWatch, AlmaLinux has more sponsors than Rocky Linux and will be more popular than Rocky Linux by 2022.
Oracle Linux has been in development since 2006 and is also binary compatible with RHEL. Finally, you can also switch to RHEL itself. However, you have to pay to use it. In return, you’ll get much-needed server support when switching from CentOS.
Conclusion
AlmaLinux is definitely a great alternative to CentOS and is binary compatible with RHEL. If you’re planning to switch to AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux, you should probably consider installing it on a virtual machine to get a feel for it. Also, you should test the migration tool in the emulator before using it on a live server.