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  1. Stackups
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  4. Operating Systems
  5. Centos vs FreeBSD

Centos vs FreeBSD

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

FreeBSD
FreeBSD
Stacks250
Followers196
Votes28
CentOS
CentOS
Stacks13.8K
Followers9.0K
Votes53

Centos vs FreeBSD: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the key differences between CentOS and FreeBSD operating systems. CentOS is a community-driven free and open-source distribution based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, while FreeBSD is a Unix-like operating system derived from the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD).

  1. Package Management: CentOS utilizes the YUM (Yellowdog Updater Modified) package management system, which allows users to easily install, update, and remove software packages. On the other hand, FreeBSD uses the Ports Collection and pkg-ng package management framework. This allows for source-based installations and provides a centralized location for managing packages.

  2. Kernel: CentOS runs on a Linux kernel, which is part of the GNU operating system, while FreeBSD has its own kernel. The Linux kernel is known for its flexibility and widespread support for various hardware and software, whereas FreeBSD's kernel provides a stable and efficient foundation for the operating system.

  3. Licensing: CentOS is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which ensures that users have the freedom to use, study, modify, and distribute the software. FreeBSD, on the other hand, is released under a permissive free software license, known as the BSD license. This allows users to freely use and modify the software without significant restrictions.

  4. Filesystem Support: CentOS primarily uses the extended filesystem (ext) family of file systems, such as ext4, which are widely used in the Linux ecosystem. FreeBSD, on the other hand, uses the Unix File System (UFS) as the default file system, which has features such as soft updates and journaling to ensure data integrity.

  5. System Administration: CentOS uses the systemd init system, which provides a consistent and centralized way of managing system services and configurations. FreeBSD, on the other hand, utilizes the BSD init system, which is known for its simplicity and stability.

  6. Hardware Support: CentOS is known for its excellent hardware compatibility, with support for a wide range of devices and architectures. FreeBSD also has good hardware support but is particularly well-suited for server and network environments, with extensive support for networking hardware and protocols.

In summary, CentOS and FreeBSD differ in their package management systems, kernel, licensing, filesystem support, system administration approaches, and hardware compatibility. These differences cater to different user needs and preferences, making each operating system suitable for specific use cases.

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Advice on FreeBSD, CentOS

Jerome/Zen
Jerome/Zen

Software Engineer

Aug 2, 2020

Decided

Global familiarity, free, widely used, and as a debian distro feels more comfortable when rapidly switching between local macOS and remote command lines.

CentOS does boast quite a few security/stability improvements, however as a RHEL-based distro, differs quite significantly in the command line and suffers from slightly less frequent package updates. (Could be a good or bad thing depending on your use-case and if it is public facing)

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Comments

Detailed Comparison

FreeBSD
FreeBSD
CentOS
CentOS

An operating system for a variety of platforms which focuses on features, speed, and stability. It is derived from BSD, the version of UNIX® developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It is developed and maintained by a large community.

The CentOS Project is a community-driven free software effort focused on delivering a robust open source ecosystem. For users, we offer a consistent manageable platform that suits a wide variety of deployments. For open source communities, we offer a solid, predictable base to build upon, along with extensive resources to build, test, release, and maintain their code.

KMS And New drm2 Video Drivers; Capsicum Enabled By Default; New Binary Packaging System; Unmapped I/O
-
Statistics
Stacks
250
Stacks
13.8K
Followers
196
Followers
9.0K
Votes
28
Votes
53
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 8
    Excellent as Server
  • 6
    Very Stable
  • 4
    Helpful community
  • 2
    Ports and packages system is mature and well-supported
  • 2
    Good for Cloud - Nextcloud
Cons
  • 1
    Poor support for laptops, especially wireless cards
  • 1
    Slower to adopt non-server hardware than Linux
Pros
  • 16
    Stable
  • 9
    Reliable
  • 9
    Free to use
  • 6
    Has epel packages
  • 6
    Good support
Cons
  • 1
    Yum is a horrible package manager

What are some alternatives to FreeBSD, CentOS?

Ubuntu

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning ‘humanity to others’. It also means ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’. The Ubuntu operating system brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the world of computers.

Debian

Debian

Debian systems currently use the Linux kernel or the FreeBSD kernel. Linux is a piece of software started by Linus Torvalds and supported by thousands of programmers worldwide. FreeBSD is an operating system including a kernel and other software.

Arch Linux

Arch Linux

A lightweight and flexible Linux distribution that tries to Keep It Simple.

Fedora

Fedora

Fedora is a Linux-based operating system that provides users with access to the latest free and open source software, in a stable, secure and easy to manage form. Fedora is the largest of many free software creations of the Fedora Project. Because of its predominance, the word "Fedora" is often used interchangeably to mean both the Fedora Project and the Fedora operating system.

Linux Mint

Linux Mint

The purpose of Linux Mint is to produce a modern, elegant and comfortable operating system which is both powerful and easy to use.

Linux

Linux

A clone of the operating system Unix, written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with assistance from a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. It aims towards POSIX and Single UNIX Specification compliance.

CoreOS

CoreOS

It is designed for security, consistency, and reliability. Instead of installing packages via yum or apt, it uses Linux containers to manage your services at a higher level of abstraction. A single service's code and all dependencies are packaged within a container that can be run on one or many machines.

Gentoo Linux

Gentoo Linux

It is a free operating system based on either Linux or FreeBSD that can be automatically optimized and customized for just about any application or need.

Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux is a security-oriented, lightweight Linux distribution based on musl libc and busybox.

Manjaro

Manjaro

It is an accessible, friendly, open-source Linux distribution and community. Based on Arch Linux, it provides all the benefits of cutting-edge software combined with a focus on getting started quickly, automated tools to require less manual intervention, and help readily available when needed.

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