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Centos vs Gentoo Linux: What are the differences?

Introduction

Centos (Community Enterprise Operating System) and Gentoo Linux are both popular Linux distributions used in server environments. While they have many similarities, there are several key differences between Centos and Gentoo Linux that set them apart.

  1. Package Management: Centos uses the YUM (Yellowdog Updater, Modified) package manager, which provides easy installation and management of software packages. On the other hand, Gentoo Linux uses Portage, a powerful package management system that allows users to compile software from source code, giving them more control and customization options.

  2. Release Model: Centos follows a fixed release model, where a new version is released approximately every two years and is supported for a long period of time. In contrast, Gentoo Linux follows a rolling release model, where updates and new releases are constantly pushed out, ensuring that users always have access to the latest software packages and security updates.

  3. Community Involvement: Centos is developed and maintained by the CentOS Project, with contributions from a large community of users and developers. Gentoo Linux, on the other hand, has a highly active and involved community, with users actively participating in the development and maintenance of the distribution.

  4. Installation Process: Centos has a relatively straightforward installation process, with a user-friendly installer that guides users through the setup. Gentoo Linux, on the other hand, requires a more hands-on approach, with users needing to manually configure and compile software during the installation process, making it more suitable for advanced users.

  5. System Optimization: Gentoo Linux is known for its focus on system optimization and customization. It allows users to specify compile-time options for software packages, optimizing them for their specific hardware and needs. Centos, on the other hand, focuses more on stability and security, providing a reliable and secure environment for server applications.

  6. Community Support: Both Centos and Gentoo Linux have active and supportive communities. However, Centos has a larger user base and a more established support infrastructure, making it easier for users to find help and resources. Gentoo Linux, on the other hand, has a tight-knit community that is known for its helpfulness and willingness to assist fellow users.

In summary, Centos and Gentoo Linux differ in their package management systems, release models, level of community involvement, installation processes, system optimization focus, and community support infrastructure.

Decisions about CentOS and Gentoo Linux
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 Gentoo Linux
  • 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
  • 3
    OpenRC or systemd init
  • 3
    Portage package manager
  • 3
    Control
  • 2
    Cross compiling
  • 2
    Flexibility
  • 2
    X86_64 architecture supported
  • 2
    Compile time optimizations
  • 2
    Per package dependency control
  • 2
    Customizable
  • 2
    Overlays
  • 2
    Extensive documentation
  • 2
    Source based distribution
  • 2
    Supports distributing compiling tasks
  • 1
    SPARC architecture supported
  • 1
    Generalized reduction is system vulnerabilities
  • 1
    Stable rolling release
  • 1
    Package slots
  • 1
    X86 architecture supported
  • 1
    Alpha architecture supported
  • 1
    ARM64 architecture supported
  • 1
    ARM architecture supported
  • 1
    HPPA architecture supported
  • 1
    MIPS architecture supported
  • 1
    PCC architecture supported
  • 1
    PCC64 architecture supported

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Cons of CentOS
Cons of Gentoo Linux
  • 1
    Yum is a horrible package manager
  • 2
    Dated documentation
  • 2
    Circular dependancy conflicts
  • 2
    No guided installation
  • 1
    Vulnerabilities related to its specific toolchains
  • 1
    System maintenance
  • 1
    Complexity
  • 1
    Compilation time

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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 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.

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What companies use CentOS?
What companies use Gentoo Linux?
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What are some alternatives to CentOS and Gentoo 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.
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