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  1. Stackups
  2. Application & Data
  3. Infrastructure as a Service
  4. Operating Systems
  5. Centos vs CloudLinux

Centos vs CloudLinux

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

CloudLinux
CloudLinux
Stacks18
Followers40
Votes0
CentOS
CentOS
Stacks13.8K
Followers9.0K
Votes53

Centos vs CloudLinux: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Centos and CloudLinux

CentOS and CloudLinux are two popular operating systems used in the web hosting industry. While both are based on the Linux kernel, there are some key differences that set them apart.

  1. Kernel and Packages: One of the main differences between CentOS and CloudLinux lies in their kernel and packages. CentOS uses the standard Linux kernel and packages, while CloudLinux has its own kernel and packages specifically designed for shared hosting environments. This customized kernel allows for better stability, security, and resource isolation.

  2. Resource Allocation: CloudLinux offers a unique feature called the "LVE Manager" (Lightweight Virtual Environment). This feature allows hosting providers to allocate specific resources such as CPU, RAM, and Inodes to individual users or groups. CentOS, on the other hand, does not have this built-in resource allocation management.

  3. CageFS: CloudLinux includes CageFS, a virtualized file system that provides individual users with their own view of the file system. This enhances security and prevents users from seeing each other's files or accessing system files. CentOS does not have built-in support for CageFS.

  4. Simplified KernelCare: KernelCare is a technology that allows running the latest kernel security patches without rebooting the server. While this technology is available for both CentOS and CloudLinux, it is more simplified and integrated in CloudLinux, making it easier to use and manage.

  5. Stability and Long-Term Support: CentOS is known for its stability and long-term support, as it is based on the upstream sources used by the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) operating system. CloudLinux, on the other hand, is specifically developed for shared hosting environments, focusing on stability and security optimizations for this particular use case.

  6. Pricing and Licensing: CentOS is a free and open-source operating system, allowing users to use it without any license fees. CloudLinux, on the other hand, requires a paid license for each server it is installed on. This licensing model includes support and access to the additional features provided by CloudLinux.

In summary, CentOS and CloudLinux differ in their kernel and packages, resource allocation management, virtualized file system, simplicity of kernel patching, stability and support, as well as their pricing and licensing models. These differences make them suitable for different use cases and environments.

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Advice on CloudLinux, 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

CloudLinux
CloudLinux
CentOS
CentOS

CloudLinux OS is designed for shared hosting providers. It isolates each customer into a separate “Lightweight Virtualized Environment” (LVE), which partitions, allocates, and limits server resources, like memory, CPU.

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.

Statistics
Stacks
18
Stacks
13.8K
Followers
40
Followers
9.0K
Votes
0
Votes
53
Pros & Cons
No community feedback yet
Pros
  • 16
    Stable
  • 9
    Reliable
  • 9
    Free to use
  • 6
    Good support
  • 6
    Has epel packages
Cons
  • 1
    Yum is a horrible package manager

What are some alternatives to CloudLinux, 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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