Both Debian and CentOS are good choices for a server OS. We use both in my workplace. We don't install a desktop. It is not required and it is a waste of resources.
Debian is a good fit for developers, as there is a great breadth of packages, and often more recent. CentOS is easier to manage as an Apache server - the way Debian does it with dozens of little files to enable is harder for someone with Redhat background to master. The bonus with CentOS/Redhat is long support lifecycle. You can install it and keep it running for up to 10 years, with updates. Debian does not do that, however it provides for good upgrade support in situ, and this is generally safe to do with relatively little downtime. The downside of CentOS/Redhat is the packages like open source DB or PHP will be older than what many applications want, and you'll need to work with 3rd party repositories such as Webtatic to get the versions you want. That's fine, except it introduces a new variable. We've run into a situation where we want to install a new server identical to the production version and the repository no longer carries the version of PHP it once did. It's free, so there are no guarantees they want to continue patching older versions for security issues, backports, etc. On the other hand, Redhat has people who are paid to do the backports, so even with older PHP it is being maintained, and that gets passed on to CentOS packages. To get into a specific, CentOS 7.5 provides php 5.4 currently, which is fairly old, while the current release of Debian 9.6 provides php 7.0. We generally gravitate to CentOS when the application is relatively boring like a CMS that is widely used. When the application requires exotic packages that are not available in CentOS, like a bunch of perl modules (e.g. netdisco) then we tend to go with Debian. The reasoning is we want the whole thing updated for security without after thoughts, and stuff installed by cpan under CentOS will be installed once and forgotten. In my mind it is all about best fit for the job. You try not to carry a bias into the selection just so you can slap more stickers onto servers. On Wed, Jan 2, 2019 at 6:51 AM Alessandro Baggi <alessandro.ba...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi list, > I'm new to this list and I'm choosing the right distribution for server > needs. I hope that I'm not OT and don't want start a flame. I'm > evaluating the possibility to switch on debian so I hope you will give > your experiences about this topic. > > At the moment I'm using CentOS 7 on server and workstation but very old > software, add third repos for get some software, use unmaintained > software where patchs are released by dev distro team, big changes > between a current release and next release, big corporation piloted > distro, waiting that rh release a security patches and then recompiled > on centos, problem on new hardware, unable to install new software from > source due to old libs get me bored, and frustated in the last year. I > like flexibility and I noticed that centos chains my knowledge. > > Today seems that RH Family is the standard and rh is more supported by > software vendors. Considering 10 years of support, Selinux working out > of the box, stability, enteprise class and free distro..user choose > Centos with the perception that things work better because all is > "followed" by a corporation. With this assumption users feel more secure > and unfailing. > > This is not necessarely true. I think that is the sysadmin that make > things safer, secure and unfailing. Sure that a stable and reliable OS > take his part but when big blue take this game I'm not so sure about > centos future. What if someone will choose to drop centos project? Maybe > this is premature but from this "Why not choose a stable and community > piloted distro where user needs are first purpose?" > > I used Debian in the past on several server for a big company without > any problems but now are several years that I use centos on server and > workstation and today I lost my debian knowledge about stability on > server usage. > > Why you choose debian on server? Where for you it is better than centos > and other server distro? > > Thanks in advance. > Alessandro. > >
