[BlueOnyx:07658] Re: CentOS-6.0 Released

[Chris Gebhardt - VIRTBIZ Internet]

Hi Ernie,

User Ernie wrote:
> Hi Michael,
> I have never used Scientific Linux, how close is it to RHEL?

Very!  It's everything that RHEL (what SL refers to simply as 
"Enterprise Linux") is, and 100% binary compatible, just like CentOS. 
They do make a couple of additions by adding the availability of certain 
packages.  Most of those added packages will not impact what we do, but 
they wouldn't be considered "harmful", either.  Bottom line: if you're 
comfortable using CentOS, you should be just as comfortable with SL.

> If Fermilab and CERN are behind it, that's pretty good credentials!

Indeed.  And if you look at the release history, especially in relation 
to the RHEL upstream, they're pretty tight with the updates.  That is, 
of course, on area where CentOS has historically been a little 
frustrating for some users.

In my opinion, the only "downside" is that we won't be calling the 
underlying distribution by the same name.  <shrug>   I don't consider 
that a huge issue.   Maybe we lose a little ground by not having the 
name recognition that CentOS provides.  But then again, if I think back 
a few years, I can clearly remember introducing people to the idea of 
CentOS and how it relates to RHEL.  In the end, is anybody really that 
concerned by what the distribution is called, or are users interested in 
the fact that it works, it's proven, and it's secure?

-- 
Chris Gebhardt
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