Since it is continually developed, CentOS Stream provides the latest software and system updates which are tested before they are ported to RHEL. On the other hand, CentOS Stream is continually being developed and is currently the development branch of RHEL. For example, CentOS is a rebuild of CentOS 8.3 which was released in 2020. Packages being introduced to CentOS Stream are rigorously tested and checked to ensure that they meet the required standards for inclusion n RHEL.ĬentOS Linux is a point release, which means that it adds minor changes such as bug fixes and security enhancements to its next release. On the other hand, CentOS Stream is a continuous delivery distribution and development branch of RHEL.ĬentOS Stream 9 tracks ahead of the next minor release of RHEL 9. Differences Between CentOS and CentOS Streamīefore we go any further, let us take a minute or two and explore the differences between these two operating systems.ĬentOS Linux is a rebuild of Red Hat Enterprise Linux ( RHEL), and hence a downstream from RHEL. CentOS 8 was unilaterally discontinued by RedHat in favor of CentOS Stream which is the upstream and current development branch of RHEL, thus marking the end of support for the CentOS Project. It is a no-cost RHEL build that was popular for handling production workloads and also as a desktop distribution.įor a long time, CentOS enjoyed a good run winning the adulation of thousands of Linux users until its sudden demise on December 31, 2021. CentOS ( Community ENTerprise Operating System) also widely referred to as CentOS Linux, is a free and open-source community-developed Linux distribution that was based on RHEL.

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