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CentOS

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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.

Decisions about CentOS and FreeBSD
Jerome/Zen Quah
Chose
UbuntuUbuntu
over
CentOSCentOS

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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Pros of CentOS
Pros of FreeBSD
  • 16
    Stable
  • 9
    Free to use
  • 9
    Reliable
  • 6
    Has epel packages
  • 6
    Good support
  • 5
    Great Community
  • 2
    I've moved from gentoo to centos
  • 8
    Excellent as Server
  • 6
    Very Stable
  • 4
    Helpful community
  • 2
    Free to use
  • 2
    Extremely simple updates and compiles of kernel and use
  • 2
    Good for Cloud - Nextcloud
  • 2
    Ports and packages system is mature and well-supported
  • 1
    Easy to install
  • 1
    Supported by major cloud platforms

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Cons of CentOS
Cons of FreeBSD
  • 1
    Yum is a horrible package manager
  • 1
    Slower to adopt non-server hardware than Linux
  • 1
    Poor support for laptops, especially wireless cards

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What is CentOS?

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.

What is FreeBSD?

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.

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What companies use CentOS?
What companies use FreeBSD?
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What are some alternatives to CentOS and FreeBSD?
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.
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.
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.
Amazon Linux
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).
openSUSE
The openSUSE project is a worldwide effort that promotes the use of Linux everywhere. openSUSE creates one of the world's best Linux distributions, working together in an open, transparent and friendly manner as part of the worldwide Free and Open Source Software community.
See all alternatives