CentOS 8: a clone that reinvents itself

We have been waiting for the CentOS team to bring us a new version of their operating system for a long time. The wait is over. The new CentOS 8 is finally here!

What is CentOS?

CentOS (Community ENTerprise Operating System) is a binary‑level clone of the RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) distribution, which can be accessed free of charge. For those who are not familiar with Red Hat, it is a company that provides open‑source–based software solutions aimed at enterprises, with corporate‑level support. One month after the publication of the latest stable revision of version 7 and following the release of RHEL 8, we can now download from the official website both the new stable version of CentOS 8 and the “Stream” version. Published on September 24, 2019, CentOS 8 is available for x86_64, ARM, IBM Power System architectures, among a few others.

One CentOS 8, two versions (RHEL and Stream)

Throughout more than 14 years of history, CentOS has always been a benchmark for stability, and that is no surprise, since it is derived, as mentioned earlier, from RHEL—one of the most robust operating systems available, fully focused on delivering enterprise‑grade software solutions, where reliability and system stability are critical. From the first version until the previous stable one, the CentOS team, unlike other distributions, offered only one edition or flavor of its operating system. With the arrival of CentOS 8, this has changed for the first time. Not only is the “Classic” stable edition of CentOS available, but there is also the “Stream” version. CentOS 8 Stream is an edition designed for developers, offering a “rolling‑release” update model. This means that during its update cycle, instead of releasing a new version with all its packages updated, it allows users to update packages as soon as they become available in the repositories. It is worth noting that this Stream edition is not intended for production environments, and its role, to some extent, is to fill the gap between Fedora and RHEL, offering developers an environment to test and stay up to date with new improvements that will be released in future RHEL versions. This relationship between RHEL and CentOS is not new. In January 2014, Red Hat announced through a statement on its website that “Red Hat and the CentOS Project join forces to accelerate open‑source innovation.”

Key Features of CentOS 8

Default web interface

The well‑known Cockpit server administration web interface is available by default. From here you can perform everything from basic server monitoring tasks, storage management, or log review, to container management. All from a web browser.

PHP support

Integrated support for PHP 7.2 as the stable, natively offered version.

Nginx

The Nginx server, version 1.14, is available in the repositories. This allows you to serve web content, email, or configure proxy servers.

YUM

A new version of YUM based on DNF, known for its friendly syntax and cleaner console output, while remaining compatible with YUM v3.

Package management

The RPM package management tool, version 4.14, is distributed with the new CentOS 8. It validates all package content before proceeding to installation.

Independent repository

A new independent repository for the CentOS 8 Stream version, which also adopts a “rolling‑release” distribution model, as previously mentioned, filling the gap between RHEL and Fedora in terms of updates, making it the perfect candidate for developers to anticipate what will be available in upcoming RHEL versions.

Increased memory support

Support for up to 4 petabytes of memory—that is, 4,000 terabytes. The previous version supported a maximum of 64 TB.

Graphics server

In this version, Wayland becomes the default graphics server, accompanied by GNOME, although not all Wayland improvements will be available in CentOS.

NFTables

The veteran iptables is replaced in this edition by nftables as the network packet filtering framework. This, in turn, becomes the backend for the firewall daemon.

Python

The default Python version offered is 3.6. These are the most relevant new features introduced in CentOS 8. There are also changes at the kernel and filesystem levels.

CentOS 8 in real life

As a project, CentOS has more than a decade of experience, offering features and stability to countless developments of all kinds. From a small server powering the website of an institution to complex implementations with critical applications for large enterprises. It is therefore no surprise that this reliability encourages users to build their projects—requiring a robust environment—using CentOS as the foundation on which they can deliver the best results without wasting valuable time resolving issues unrelated to the project itself. One example of this is Pandora FMS, a monitoring solution aimed at all types of environments. Designed to serve as a multipurpose monitoring tool capable of managing the entire infrastructure without incurring additional investments of time or money. Pandora FMS is based on CentOS and recently released an update for its community edition, Pandora FMS 7.0 NG 739, which includes a series of improvements and allows monitoring of mixed environments through its download and installation—ranging from desktop computers, servers, network appliances, and printers to mobile devices or any device with network connectivity.

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In summary

CentOS 8 is now available; the collaboration announcement between Red Hat and CentOS becomes tangible through CentOS 8 Stream. Although the wait was slightly longer than usual, this new edition comes with more than ten new features aimed at improving usability, performance, and distribution functionality—without compromising the stability that characterizes it—continuing to offer the solid foundation that every implementation requires.