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Debian and CentOS are both Linux distributions that differ from each other. These differences affect the choice of operating system. You should choose one of these based on your needs and preferences.

Linux is a world of its own! You may have heard this often, but Linux is wide and has many distributions. People who want to use the Linux operating system are overwhelmed by its different distributions and do not know which one to choose.

Some of the famous Linux distributions that probably encourage you to use them are CentOS and Debian. If you are stuck between these two distributions and don’t know which one to choose, don’t miss this article; in this article, we will talk in detail about the key differences between CentOS and Debian and guide you to make the right choice. So stay with us.

What is CentOS?

Community Enterprise Operating System is a term that CentOS took from. Suppose we want to sum up CentOS in one sentence. In that case, we should say that it is a Linux distribution with a free and open-source commercial platform supported by the community with the Linux kernel (meaning by a small team growing from the leading developers).

Gregory Kurtz provided this distribution. This Linux distribution is distributed under the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL), which has caused some people to refer to it as the GNU/Linux distribution. CentOS is compatible with and derived from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), with features such as stability, predictability, and manageability. However, CentOS is very similar to Unix.

CentOS 8 was regularly updated from 2004 until 2021, when it stopped and was replaced by CentOS Stream (the CentOS Linux 7 version will be updated until 2024).

All the things we said here were generalities about the CentOS Linux distribution that we briefly examined; if you are interested in getting detailed and in-depth information about this Linux distribution, we recommend you visit our What is CentOS article (you won’t regret it!).

What is Debian?

What do you think if we get to know the Debian distribution? If your answer is yes, let’s get acquainted with this distribution (of course, we give you the right to choose, you can directly go to the differences between these two distributions without knowing Debian).

Debian is also very similar to Unix and has a free software collection; of course, much of its software is licensed under the GNU General Public License.

What made Debian 2018 win the title of the best distribution of the year is its user-friendliness and stability, which make it easy to work with. Another feature of Debian that adds to its likability is its convenient and easy installation. You can have it in three whistles. We have written the Debian installation tutorial in the simplest possible language for you to read.

Debian can be installed on both the system and the server. If you’re interested in learning more about Debian, you can read a comprehensive What is Debian article.

What are the differences between CentOS and Debian?

Now that you have general knowledge of Debian and CentOS, it is better to go to the main point and check their differences.

First, we want to mention the difference in the number of updates these two distributions receive. Debian receives more package updates and can easily be upgraded to the next version.

Many people started their journey to GNU/Linux from Red Hat, and they generally use CentOS and Fedora on their desktops. If you have used any of these distributions, there is no reason to use a new one.

If you are looking for GNU/Linux distributions to install on your server, CentOS and Debian are the best choices you can make, and there is no significant difference in this regard.

Debian has a minor role in the market, while CentOS is more stable and has the support of a large community.

Debian improves, grows, and develops quickly, and many people count on it. At the same time, even though CentOS hosts critical servers, it still supports many architectures. Does not!

Debian has more packages than CentOS and leaves people’s hands more open.

Another difference between Debian and CentOS is that you need to have a good knowledge of Linux to install and customize new software on Debian. In contrast, in CentOS, you don’t need this specialized knowledge.

CentOS versions have been maintained for nearly ten years, which can provide good support for commercial versions. There is no such news in Debian!
Debian has simple programs and applications that have a user-friendly graphical interface, but CentOS does not have a simple and user-friendly graphical interface.

Available supported architectures can be the deciding factor in whether a distribution is the right choice. Debian and CentOS are both very popular for x86_64/AMD64, but what other architectures do each support?

Both these distributions support AArch64/ARM64, armhf/armhfp, i386, ppc64el/ppc64le. Note: armhf/armhfp and i386 are only supported on CentOS 7.

CentOS 7 additionally supports POWER9, while Debian and CentOS 8 do not.

Review of CentOS and Debian package management

Today, most Linux distributions have some form of package management, some more sophisticated and better-featured than others. CentOS uses the RPM package format and YUM/DNF as package managers.

Review of CentOS and Debian file systems

Does the default file system matter to you? If so, XFS fans can be happy that it’s there by default on CentOS. Those who have more of an EXT4 persuasion may prefer Debian. XFS and EXT4 are popular and well-supported options for CentOS and Debian, so the default file system is probably not a deciding factor. In addition, both distributions support numerous other file systems such as ext2/3, NFSv3/4, btrfs, SMB, GFS2, and many others.

CentOS does not officially support some of the file systems Debian offers, including ZFS. Debian provides ZFS support through the DKMS contribution, but ZFS is not supported on CentOS, although ZFS support is available through third parties.

Checking the difference between CentOS and Debian kernels

Need your environment’s latest and greatest Linux kernel to support the newest hardware or kernel features? If so, Debian’s 4.19 kernel might appeal to you. CentOS has the kernel-lt-5.4 and kernel-ml-5.10 packages available through third-party repositories, but CentOS ships with kernel 3.10 (CentOS 7) or 4.18 (CentOS 8).

Debian and Red Hat back up security fixes from newer kernels to their current kernels, so falling behind in security is usually not a concern.

conclusion

In this article, we discussed the differences between CentOS and Debian and explained their differences case by case. You probably have the question: which of these distributions is better, and which should we install? The answer is simple; It’s up to you to decide! You should consider your priorities and choose one of these distributions according to the differences mentioned.