If you’re planning on using CentOS Linux for your web server or your home computer, we have some important things you need to know.

In fact, we have six specific things you should think about before you decide whether or not CentOS Linux is right for you.

When you finish this article, you’re going to know a lot more about using this alternative operating system that is loved by a lot of people.

Six Things to Know About CentOS Linux

Here’s a list of six specific things you should know before installing or using CentOS Linux.

• Not Official

The first thing you need to realize is that CentOS Linux is NOT an official release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Having said that, CentOS Linux is run by a dedicated group of volunteers who make sure everything is up to date and that bugs are squashed and security holes are plugged as much as possible.

• Lag Time

Another thing you need to remember is that there’s generally a lag for major releases. This allows them to make sure everything works together and is secure. If you need the latest version of PHP, PERL or something else, you might not want to use CentOS Linux.

• Always Behind

Speaking of the lag time, because of the way RHEL is released, CentOS Linux is always going to be behind in version numbers. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however.

• Reliability

Because the people who work on it are volunteers, they may disappear for a while to take care of problems in their own life. As its free, this isn’t a problem for most people who use CentOS Linux.

• Long View

If you’re in it for the long haul when it comes to using Linux, you’re going to want to stick with the CentOS team and community because what they’ve done so far and plan on doing in the future.

• Software

If you’re going to be using the machine for a web server, you’re going to want to make sure you have all the appropriate software installed. For example, if you want to use a Business Directory Template, you’re going to need to make sure you have all the necessary libraries and programs installed – especially if you’re running a server.

Using CentOS Linux is a good idea for a lot of people, but you want to make sure you’re one of those people before you install it and use it as your main operating system. As with any other OS on the market, CentOS Linux has its pros and cons.

Knowing them is essential if you’re going to make an informed decision about whether or not to use it on your computer or server. If you have an opinion about CentOS, leave a comment for us and let us know what you think about it – good or bad.

[quote style=”boxed”]Written by: Jenny Corteza has been writing technology articles since as long as she can remember – which is quite a while. She loves the written word and hopes to write a young adult novel one day soon – something even better than the Hunger Games.[/quote]