The internet platform has been able to create an integrated and accurate network for us that has integrated the world and we all know how important these communications can be in all fields. The main burden of establishing this connection is on the shoulders of the servers that provide the processing power required by the Internet and provide storage space for our data. These servers need to use an operating system to function like any other computer. One of the ideal options that is among the best operating systems used in different servers is called CentOS.

CentOS is one of the operating systems that is used as the controlling and main operating system for all types of hosts such as Linux hosts, WordPress hosts, and also on all types of dedicated servers. In this article, we are going to examine what CentOS is and why it is so widely used.

What is the history of CentOS?

To understand why CentOS is so widely used, it is better to first look at the history of CentOS and where it came from. CentOS can be introduced as one of the Linux distributions that has a solid and solid infrastructure that is derived from one of the parent Linux operating systems that was able to attract many opinions.

CentOS is a free distribution of Linux provided by a professional community of experts working to support and expand it. The main source of this operating system is the Enterprise distribution of Redhat, known as RHEL for short, and it is one of the best and most comprehensive operating systems offered by Redhat and can be an ideal option for various organizations. The CentOS operating system is built exactly on this operating system, or rather, it is the same RHEL, from which all the signs and symptoms of Redhat have been removed.

Where was the CentOS server found?

If we want to say what are the basic foundations of the CentOS operating system, we can point to two Linux distributions, Caos and Tao. The CentOS operating system, originally called CAOS Linux, was introduced in 2002 by Gregory Kurtzer. In 2006, David Parsley, one of the senior programmers of the Tao Linux project, which was another RHEL clone and emulation, announced that the distribution was retired. A combined team of these programmers and under the responsibility of Lance Davis under an update called YUM, rebuilt the CAOS distribution and turned it into CentOS. Tao Linux users were the first to become early adopters of the CentOS operating system by updating their operating system.

What is the basis of CentOS architecture?

Now that we’ve seen what CentOS is and what its history is, it’s time to talk about what the CentOS architecture is and what options it uses. The main choice now used for the base of the CentOS operating system is the RHEL operating system, and there is almost no trace of Caos and Tao. RHEL uses a non-free source code in its working system, whose services are periodically updated, and all programs implemented on it are registered in the Free Software Foundation. This means that this operating system can be considered a non-free but completely open source distribution of Linux. This operating system is now being introduced as the primary choice for the current CentOS distribution.

This operating system is generally a GNU from RHEL, but because Redhat does not allow copying of this operating system, CentOS has completely changed its logo and has become another operating system.

The noteworthy point in this case is that Redhat not only does not complain about this project and copying, but also collaborates with this project and is one of the main members of the Community related to this operating system.

Different versions of CentOS

So far, various versions and releases of the CentOS operating system have been provided, which are classified into 6 general versions. The thing about the numbering of different versions of the CentOS operating system is that this operating system is named like other applications, and the version of this operating system changes as a three-part number. The first three-part number indicates the main version of the operating system and is related to the RHEL operating system. In fact, the reconstruction of any version that is presented, its number will be placed on the original version of the operating system. But there is a second number separated by a dot.

This number indicates the updates that have been provided for this operating system. For example, CentOS 6.5 operating system means that the 6th version of RHEL has been rebuilt and 6 update packages have been provided for it so far.

The third number that exists in this operating system and can be mentioned is related to the month and date of the update, and it is a relatively longer number that is generally shown as a four-digit number. The two digits on the right indicate the month of publication and the two digits on the left indicate the year of publication. For example, the CentOS 6.3.1110 operating system tells us that the CentOS operating system in question has received its third update in the tenth month of 2011 and is related to RHEL version 6.

Regarding the versions and releases of the CentOS operating system, six main versions can be mentioned. The first complete and professional version of the CentOS operating system that was released was the third version of this operating system, which was introduced as an official operating system in 2004.

Version 4 was introduced in 2005 and version 5 was introduced in 2007 and was used for a long time. Especially the fifth version of this operating system, which was supported for 10 years and was serving servers as an operating system until 2017. The seventh version of this operating system, which was presented in 2014, is also one of the valid versions, and it is supposed to receive an update until 2024. This operating system has been steadfast in its goal and has received its supports. Currently, the eighth version of this program is being used, which was introduced in 2019, and its updates are being provided now.

Different versions of the CentOS operating system have a high ability to provide services to servers, which is at a high level, and many servers in the world, especially servers that are used for web services, use this operating system. In the following, we will examine the reason for this high use of the CentOS operating system.

What is the reason for the popularity of CentOS?

CentOS operating system is one of the operating systems that can undoubtedly be introduced as a popular option for web servers and many internet servers. To prove this, just take a look at the tariffs that different hosting companies offer for selling server services. All servers are moving towards using this operating system for their work, and its services are of interest to all hosting companies.

But what is the cause and what has made CentOS reach its current position? To answer this question, the following reasons can be introduced:

Stability and being stable

One of the most important principles that an internet server can rely on is the stability of the operating system it uses. But what is this stability about CentOS and what does it mean?

When the word stable is used for an operating system, it means that the operating system has been tested and its errors have been fixed. Stability for an operating system used on a server is something that cannot be ignored at all. A mistake in the server can lead to a disaster and a lot of information is lost or the servers are down and the service is stopped. This suspension of service can disrupt several store sites or similar cases and cause heavy financial losses.

So, the need to use a tested and professional operating system in every server is something that should be given more attention. A secure operating system such as CentOS can address this need. CentOS is known as one of the most stable and trouble-free Linux distributions using its strong kernel.

Having an enterprise basis

To manage a server, whether it is for the web or for an organization, a bunch of professional facilities are needed, and many of these modules may not be available in general operating systems. In addition to that, optimizations should be made for processing according to the web and the processing load of the workflow, which can cause its own problems.

If you pay attention to the different versions of the operating systems, the enterprise level has one of the highest level of features and sometimes has a higher price among the different operating systems. Now you must have understood what is the reason why CentOS operating system is good in this case and how it can be considered an advantage for CentOS.

CentOS is implemented on top of the RHEL core, which means you’re dealing with the most powerful enterprise operating system from the most powerful enterprise operating system provider. So it can be said that CentOS is a fully enterprise option and the modules and optimizations needed for an enterprise server or web server are provided by default and compatible with other codes such as PHP.

high security

Another issue that can be considered about the differences between CentOS and other operating systems and the point of superiority of CentOS is the issue of security. The security of an operating system ensures whether the system does what it is supposed to do. Consider a situation where a third party has infected your server’s operating system and destroyed your data by injecting code or any other method. This situation will be even worse if this person also misuses your information. Then how can you trust the system and the network?

If you look at your CentOS server with this thought and imagine a face-shaped user interface for this operating system, you will surely see it smiling at you and laughing at this thought. CentOS is one of the least flawed Linux operating systems that can even swear on its security!

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed what CentOS is and reviewed it completely. The CentOS operating system is a professional distribution of Linux that can be used well in servers due to its structure, and today there are many servers that depend on the stability, security, speed and management options of CentOS. CentOS has competitors like Ubuntu to contend with, and you should take a look at them if you need a bigger perspective on choosing your server OS.