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Centos vs Linux Mint vs Ubuntu: What are the differences?
Key Differences between CentOS, Linux Mint, and Ubuntu
Introduction
This markdown provides the key differences between CentOS, Linux Mint, and Ubuntu, three popular Linux distributions.
Package Manager: One of the major differences between these distributions is the package manager they use. CentOS uses the YUM (Yellowdog Updater Modified) package manager, whereas Linux Mint and Ubuntu use the APT (Advanced Package Tool) package manager. While both YUM and APT have similar functionality, the commands and syntax for package management differ, leading to variations in the user experience.
Desktop Environment: CentOS mainly focuses on server deployments and does not come with a pre-installed desktop environment. However, Linux Mint and Ubuntu provide various desktop environment options, such as Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce, and GNOME. This difference makes CentOS more suitable for server-oriented tasks, while Linux Mint and Ubuntu cater to both server and desktop users.
Release Cycle: Another significant difference lies in the release cycle of these distributions. CentOS follows a more stable and conservative release model, aiming for long-term support and reliability. On the other hand, Linux Mint and Ubuntu adopt a regular release model, where new versions with updated features and packages are released every six months or so. This distinction allows CentOS to provide a more consistent and reliable environment for enterprise environments, while Linux Mint and Ubuntu offer more up-to-date features.
Community Support: Linux Mint and Ubuntu, being more popular among desktop users, have larger and more active communities. These communities provide extensive support, documentation, and forums for users to seek help and share knowledge. CentOS, although it has a dedicated user base, may have comparatively fewer resources and community support available.
Default Applications: The default applications that come pre-installed in each distribution also differ. CentOS, being more focused on server usage, includes minimal applications and services to keep the installation lightweight. Linux Mint and Ubuntu, on the other hand, come with a wide range of applications for both productivity and entertainment out-of-the-box, making them more user-friendly for desktop users.
Target Audience: Lastly, each distribution has a different target audience. CentOS primarily targets enterprise users, data centers, and server administrators who prioritize stability, security, and long-term support. Linux Mint and Ubuntu, on the other hand, have a broader target audience, including desktop users, developers, and enthusiasts, who value ease of use, versatility, and community support.
In Summary, CentOS is a server-centric distribution with focus on stability and package management using YUM, while Linux Mint and Ubuntu cater to both server and desktop users, provide regular updates, and have a more extensive community support.
Ubuntu always let people do what they want to do, it pushes its users to know what they are doing, what they want and helps them learn what they ignore.
Ubuntu is simple, works out-of-the-box after installation and has a incredibly huge community behind.
Ubuntu is lightweight and open, in the way, that the user has access to free AND efficient applications (most of the time, without ads) and, even if learning its folder structure is challenging, once done, you are really able to call yourself "someone who knows what is in your computer".
Windows, in comparison, is heavy, tends to make decision for you and always enable tracking application by default. grr
It has a simple user interface, of course, but on the stability point of view, it is hard to compete with something simpler (even with less features).
Personal preference : I prefer something simple that works 99% of the time, than a full-featured auto-magical system that works 50% of the time (and ask if the good version of the driver is really installed...)
Coming from a Debian-based Linux background, using the Ubuntu base image for my Docker containers was a natural choice. However, the overhead, even on the impressively-slimmed Hub images, was hard to justify. Seeking to create images that were "just right" in size, without unused packages or dependencies, I made the switch to Alpine.
Alpine's modified BusyBox has a surprising amount of functionality, and the package repository contains plenty of muslc-safe versions of commonly-used packages. It's been a valuable exercise in doing more with less, and, as Alpine is keen to point out, an image with fewer packages makes for a more sustainable environment with a smaller attack surface.
My only regret is that Alpine's documentation leaves a lot to be desired.
I have used libvirt in every Linux hypervisor deployment I do. I frequently deploy RHEL or CentOS hypervisor servers with libvirt as the VMM of choice. It's installable via the guided setup for EL-based Linux distros, it uses minimal resources and overhead, integrates seamlessly with KVM and Qemu, and provides powerful CLI for advanced users and experts looking for automated deployments, or via VirtManager in your favorite Linux desktop environment. Best used with Linux VMs, it allows KVM and QEMU direct hardware virtualization access.
Using Arch Linux for our systems and servers means getting the latest technology and fixes early, as well as early warnings for potential future breakage in other (slower) distributions. It's been easy to maintain, easy to automate, and most importantly: easy to debug.
While our software target is every recent Linux distribution, using Arch internally ensured that everyone understands the full system without any knowledge gaps.
Ubuntu is much more faster over Windows and helps to get software and other utilities easier and within a short span of time compared to Windows.
Ubuntu helps to get robustness and resiliency over Windows. Ubuntu runs faster than Windows on every computer that I have ever tested. LibreOffice (Ubuntu's default office suite) runs much faster than Microsoft Office on every computer that I have ever tested.
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)
I liked manjaro a lot, the huge support it has and the variety of tools it provides is just awesome. But due to its parent platform being Arch Linux it has bleeding-edge technology and that meaning, we get updated 'daily', and if we keep updating the system daily, due to the bugs in the recent updates the system sometimes used to crash, this made the OS really unstable. However, one can avoid such crashes using periodical and careful system/package updates. I now use LinuxMint which is based on Ubuntu, and this OS is completely stable with reliable(mostly tested) updates. And, since this OS is backed up by UBUNTU the concerns/questions one can encounter while using the OS can be easily rectified using the UBUNTU community, which is pretty good. Though this is backed up on UBUNTU it most certainly does NOT include the proprietary stuff of UBUNTU, which is on the bright side of the OS. That's it! Happy Computing.
At the moment of the decision, my desktop was the primary place I did work. Due to this, I can't have it blow up on me while I work. While Arch is interesting and powerful, Ubuntu offers (at least for me) a lot more stability and lets me focus on other things than maintaining my own OS installation.
Pros of CentOS
- Stable16
- Free to use9
- Reliable9
- Has epel packages6
- Good support6
- Great Community5
- I've moved from gentoo to centos2
Pros of Linux Mint
- Simple, Fast, Comfort and Easy to Use15
- Stable14
- Elegant12
- Good for beginners11
- Free to use10
- Out of the box3
- Reliable3
- Good software support1
Pros of Ubuntu
- Free to use230
- Easy setup for testing discord bot96
- Gateway Linux Distro57
- Simple interface54
- Don't need driver installation in most cases9
- Open Source6
- Many active communities6
- Software Availability3
- Easy to custom3
- Many flavors/distros based on ubuntu2
- Lightweight container base OS1
- Great OotB Linux Shell Experience1
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Cons of CentOS
- Yum is a horrible package manager1
Cons of Linux Mint
- Easy to mess up with a few settings (like the panel)3
- Security breaches2
- Idiots can break it because it is open source1
Cons of Ubuntu
- Demanding system requirements5
- Adds overhead and unnecessary complexity over Debian4
- Snapd installed by default2
- Systemd1