Debian/Ubuntu: Best Replacement of CentOS

Debian/Ubuntu: Best Replacement of CentOS. CentOS 8 will not be supported at the end of 2021. Althought CentOS 8 could be swifted to CentOS 8 Stream, the situation would be changed significantly and CentOS 8 stream is rolling-release version.

In other words:

• CentOS is Redhat’s downstreaming version.
• CentOS stream is Redhat’s upstreaming version.

That means CentOS Stream is actually “beta” version, and its bugs should be more than CentOS.  

What’s the crucial goal as server? Absolutely it’s Stablility!  CentOS Stream is not suitable for production server if you care about this issue.

Unfortunately. You have to buy commercial license to swift to Redhat Linux if you still want to use server OS as stable as CentOS.

Alternatively, you can swift to other free version Linux, but the easiest way to replace CentOs by Debian or Ubuntu. Let’s compare CentOS, Debian and Ubuntu first.

 

Which is more suitable as a server operating system?

In general, system administrators/operations and maintenance personnel prefer CentOS; developers prefer Ubuntu/Debian. For the pros and cons of each system, the following is a detailed description from the life cycle, package management, hardware support and applicability.

 

Life cycle

The life cycle is the support for the system, patch installation, vulnerability repair and so on. After the life cycle, it is not whether it can be used, but the system will no longer be repaired, and there will be security or stability problems.

 

The life cycle of CentOS is generally 7 years. In the age of non-cloud servers, this life cycle has a special meaning, that is, the speed of upgrading computer hardware. The life cycle of CentOS can basically cover the life cycle of server hardware, that is, you After buying the server and installing the system, next time you update the hardware equipment, you don’t need to toss the system.

 

Ubuntu’s LTS (Long-Term-Support) version, an average version of 2 years, basically provides 5 years of support updates, there are exceptions, this time limit is not absolute, such as the release of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS on April 22, 2008 , The first update of Ubuntu 8.04.1 LTS on July 1, 2008; the second update of Ubuntu 8.04.2 LTS on January 21, 2009; the third update of Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS on July 9, 2009; Ubuntu 8.04.4 LTS was updated four times on January 21, 2010. It takes about a year and a half.

 

The life cycle of Debian is not fixed, the release time of the new version is not fixed, and it is often delayed. Generally, after the new version is released, the previous version will continue to be supported for about 18 months. Overall, the average life cycle will be About 3~4 years.

 

Package management

The package management of Ubuntu/Debian is very good. In many cases, you may only need an apt-get to get things done. With CentOS, you may often have to download the source code and compile it yourself. Version control may also become a big problem. . There is a Spring framework for a java project. It uses MQ and WebSocket. It is solved by a few commands in Ubuntu. It is difficult to deploy to CentOS. Some downloads can only be compiled with source code. Of course, it is also not familiar with CentOS. the reason.

 

Support for hardware

I don’t have to say, it must be CentOS. If it is a very large project, it is recommended to use CentOS. Debian’s unconventional network card and hard disk array card sometimes cannot be driven.

 

Applicability

Many companies deploy more CentOS systems in the production environment, while Ubuntu may be more popular with individual developers. Debian as a server system is not as fancy as Ubuntu, and stability is king.

 

Generally: 

System administrators/operations and maintenance personnel first recommend CentOS. In theory, the system is relatively stable. Although it will cause many unexpected troubles for developers in deployment, as a system administrator, server stability will be his main function and he is also doing it. One of the main considerations when choosing. If you are a system administrator, knowing more about CentOS may make it easier to find a job.

 

Developers first recommend Ubuntu/Debian, because as a developer, it is very necessary to push the program you write to the server safely, stably and conveniently. After all, if the program cannot be deployed, the boss will find you directly.

 

Many companies used Ubuntu and Mac as the development environment, and the language was Ruby; for the production environment, because many IT more familiar with Ubuntu. In fact, there were no big problem during deployment.

If with Java project, the development environment Ubuntu/Elementary/Mac, the production environment CentOS, and various problems during server deployment, including incomplete packages, file permissions, and firewalls. It took a day to solve the problems.

Therefore, if you are a beginner or a developer, it is highly recommended to use Ubuntu/Debian as a server; if you are a system administrator or operation and maintenance staff and do not need you to develop a deployment program, CentOS may be the first choice (This is too bad in 2021).

 

If there are no special requirements or usage scenarios, all three systems can be selected. Choosing a system you are familiar with may be more convenient for future operation and maintenance.

 

There are many Linux distributions, among which the two most mainstream series are RHEL led by Red Hat and Debian driven by the community. These two distributions have derived many popular distributions, such as centos, oracle linux, fedora, etc. under RHEL, and ubuntu, deepin, linux mint, etc. under Debian.

 

Because RHEL is supported by the company, it has an advantage in hardware support, and Red Hat’s technical strength is very strong, and the stability and security of the system are very reliable. You can search for specific introduction yourself.

 

Debian is community driven and is known for its stability. It does not accept non-open source drivers and does not have an advantage in hardware support. However, ubuntu can make up for this disadvantage. Debian is the most GNU-compliant distribution. It is very popular in Europe and the United States, and its use is also very simple. Most of the problems encountered can be solved by looking at the error message.

 

Many people learn RHEL, so Centos is more popular in many countries. Debian and Ubuntu are more popular abroad and globally. In fact, all distributions are almost the same, they are all Linux kernel plus some software. . . . The core is the same, even if the commands are different, they are still the same. There is no need for us to endorse a certain release, nor should we defend the so-called faith like the saints.

 

Actually, there are ubuntu, debian, centos, windows server and other systems in datacenters or companies . Because the business requirements are different, the required systems are also different, and it is impossible to use a single system. These systems are not mutually exclusive, but complementary. For us, they are all tools, for our use, not for us to believe.

 

Conclusion: 

CentOS had been being the No.1 choice till it wasn’t supported.  Debian or Ubuntu is not as “perfect” as CentOS, but both have run as servers for very long time and are also widely supported by hardwares. 

In thus, Debian or Ubuntu is the “ready to go” solution although you need time to learn new system.