Amazon Linux vs Centos

Overview

CentOS

Stacks13.8K

Followers9.0K

Votes53

Amazon Linux

Stacks145

Followers149

Votes0

Amazon Linux vs Centos: What are the differences?

Introduction: In this article, we will discuss the key differences between Amazon Linux and CentOS, two popular Linux distributions. This information will help you understand the distinctions between the two and choose the distribution that best suits your needs.

Package Management: One significant difference between Amazon Linux and CentOS is their package management systems. Amazon Linux uses the YUM package manager, whereas CentOS uses the DNF package manager. Although both are package management systems, they have different commands, functionalities, and repositories. This difference may influence your choice depending on your familiarity and preference for a particular package manager.
Support and Updates: Another key difference lies in the support and update cycles. Amazon Linux is primarily designed and maintained by Amazon Web Services (AWS), specifically for running on AWS infrastructure. It receives long-term support and is regularly updated to maintain compatibility with AWS services. In contrast, CentOS is a community-supported distribution that focuses on stability and security. It provides long-term support through regular updates and security patches. Therefore, if you are primarily using AWS services, Amazon Linux might be a better choice due to its optimized support for AWS infrastructure.
Default Software Packages: Both distributions include a range of software packages, but the specific packages included by default differ. Amazon Linux is designed to be lightweight and optimized for cloud environments. It includes a base set of packages required for running applications efficiently on AWS infrastructure. CentOS, on the other hand, includes a broader range of packages and is more suitable for general-purpose usage, including servers and workstations. Depending on your requirements and preferences, this difference in default software packages may influence your choice.
Release Schedule: The release schedule is another distinguishing factor between Amazon Linux and CentOS. Amazon Linux follows its own release cycle, and new versions are frequently released to keep up with the latest AWS offerings and services. CentOS follows a more conservative release schedule, providing long-term support for major versions. This distinction is crucial if you prioritize having access to the latest features and updates versus a more stable and supported environment.
Community and Documentation: Both Amazon Linux and CentOS have active and supportive communities. However, due to its association with AWS, Amazon Linux benefits from extensive documentation, tutorials, and resources specifically tailored for running on Amazon's cloud infrastructure. CentOS, being a widely-used community-supported distribution, also has a vast amount of community-contributed resources and documentation. Based on your familiarity and preference for specific resources, this difference in community and documentation focus may be a deciding factor.
Security Features: When it comes to security features, both distributions have robust security measures in place. However, Amazon Linux puts more emphasis on security by including security enhancements and configurations out of the box. The distribution is pre-configured with security extensions like SELinux and hardened kernel configurations. CentOS, while still providing essential security features, may require additional configurations to achieve the same level of security. Depending on your security concerns and requirements, this difference in pre-configured security features may impact your choice.

**In Summary, Amazon Linux and CentOS differ in terms of package management, support and updates, default software packages, release schedule, community and documentation focus, and security features. Depending on your specific needs, preferences, and infrastructure, you can make an informed decision on which distribution to choose.

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Advice on CentOS, Amazon Linux

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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Detailed Comparison

CentOS	Amazon Linux
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.	The Amazon Linux AMI is a supported and maintained Linux image provided by Amazon Web Services for use on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2).
-	AWS Integration;Secure Configuration;Package Repository Access;Security Updates;Lightweight;AWS Support
Statistics
Stacks 13.8K	Stacks 145
Followers 9.0K	Followers 149
Votes 53	Votes 0
Pros & Cons
Pros 16 Stable 9 Reliable 9 Free to use 6 Good support 6 Has epel packages Cons 1 Yum is a horrible package manager	No community feedback yet
Integrations
No integrations available	Amazon EC2

What are some alternatives to CentOS, Amazon Linux?

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Related Comparisons

Amazon Linux vs Centos: What are the differences?

Package Management: One significant difference between Amazon Linux and CentOS is their package management systems. Amazon Linux uses the YUM package manager, whereas CentOS uses the DNF package manager. Although both are package management systems, they have different commands, functionalities, and repositories. This difference may influence your choice depending on your familiarity and preference for a particular package manager.
Support and Updates: Another key difference lies in the support and update cycles. Amazon Linux is primarily designed and maintained by Amazon Web Services (AWS), specifically for running on AWS infrastructure. It receives long-term support and is regularly updated to maintain compatibility with AWS services. In contrast, CentOS is a community-supported distribution that focuses on stability and security. It provides long-term support through regular updates and security patches. Therefore, if you are primarily using AWS services, Amazon Linux might be a better choice due to its optimized support for AWS infrastructure.
Default Software Packages: Both distributions include a range of software packages, but the specific packages included by default differ. Amazon Linux is designed to be lightweight and optimized for cloud environments. It includes a base set of packages required for running applications efficiently on AWS infrastructure. CentOS, on the other hand, includes a broader range of packages and is more suitable for general-purpose usage, including servers and workstations. Depending on your requirements and preferences, this difference in default software packages may influence your choice.
Release Schedule: The release schedule is another distinguishing factor between Amazon Linux and CentOS. Amazon Linux follows its own release cycle, and new versions are frequently released to keep up with the latest AWS offerings and services. CentOS follows a more conservative release schedule, providing long-term support for major versions. This distinction is crucial if you prioritize having access to the latest features and updates versus a more stable and supported environment.
Community and Documentation: Both Amazon Linux and CentOS have active and supportive communities. However, due to its association with AWS, Amazon Linux benefits from extensive documentation, tutorials, and resources specifically tailored for running on Amazon's cloud infrastructure. CentOS, being a widely-used community-supported distribution, also has a vast amount of community-contributed resources and documentation. Based on your familiarity and preference for specific resources, this difference in community and documentation focus may be a deciding factor.
Security Features: When it comes to security features, both distributions have robust security measures in place. However, Amazon Linux puts more emphasis on security by including security enhancements and configurations out of the box. The distribution is pre-configured with security extensions like SELinux and hardened kernel configurations. CentOS, while still providing essential security features, may require additional configurations to achieve the same level of security. Depending on your security concerns and requirements, this difference in pre-configured security features may impact your choice.

Amazon Linux vs Centos

Overview