Re: [tlug] CentOS & RHEL

[Jim <jep200404@example.com>]

Micheal E Cooper wrote:

> So what is the deal with CentOS and RHEL? 

CentOS takes RHEL SRPMs, which are freely available, strips out 
all the RH trademark stuff, and recompiles it with their own 
trademarks and signatures. The resulting binaries are freely available. 
There are about half a dozen RHEL clones. 
CentOS is the most sophisticated one. 

> Is Centos just a copy of the free parts of RHEL, 

It is a _recomplilation_ of the free parts. 

> or is it a separate distro that aims for complete compatibility?

Yes. (a bit of a false dichotomy)

Read the "CentOS Overview" section in the right column on centos.org. 

> I use RHEL, but I would like to experiment more and not have to learn
> other distros yet, so maybe CentOS would be a good way to run something
> RHEL-like ...

Yes, very much so. You'll like CentOS for playing around. 

> ... without the flakiness of Fedora Core. I have had enough of FCx.

Dave, are you listening?