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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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
Pros of CentOS
- Stable16
- Free to use9
- Reliable9
- Has epel packages6
- Good support6
- Great Community5
- I've moved from gentoo to centos2
Pros of FreeBSD
- Excellent as Server8
- Very Stable6
- Helpful community4
- Free to use2
- Extremely simple updates and compiles of kernel and use2
- Good for Cloud - Nextcloud2
- Ports and packages system is mature and well-supported2
- Easy to install1
- Supported by major cloud platforms1
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Cons of CentOS
- Yum is a horrible package manager1
Cons of FreeBSD
- Slower to adopt non-server hardware than Linux1
- Poor support for laptops, especially wireless cards1
