CentOS Stream is the upstream open-source development platform prior to Red Hat’s Linux distribution.
I first noticed the open-source operating system lifecycle redhat and centos life cycle had ended, and I was wondering what was going on. Besides security issues, dnf wasn’t working, and I recently encountered failures when installing tools – checking the repository sources revealed that CentOS 8 Stream had reached its end of life.
CentOS Stream Introduction
Positioning and Roles
CentOS Stream sits between Fedora Linux (upstream development) and RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux, downstream development), acting as a bridge.
It can be considered a version for experiencing the latest Red Hat-based Linux features, suitable for those who want to try out new things.
Origins and Background
Over time, Red Hat began to seek more effective ways to develop its enterprise-grade Linux platform, leading to the launch of CentOS Stream.
CentOS 8 ended maintenance at the end of 2021, and CentOS Stream continued to be updated as its successor, becoming the future direction of the CentOS project.
Features and Advantages
CentOS Stream is a rolling release Linux distribution that provides faster updates. It offers greater transparency and more opportunities for community, partner, and customer participation, allowing users to contribute to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) more quickly and directly. The content of CentOS Stream is software that Red Hat intends to include in the next stable version of RHEL, therefore it provides a stable ABI/API for developers and testers within the community.
Use Cases and Target Users
CentOS Stream is suitable for those CentOS users who want to continue receiving the latest Linux feature updates, as well as developers and partners who wish to participate in Red Hat Enterprise Linux development.
It also aims to help community members, Red Hat partners, and others take full advantage of innovative open-source software in a more stable and predictable Linux ecosystem.
End of Life
| Release | Released | Active Support | Security Support | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 3 years ago (15 Sep 2021) | Ends in 2 years and 6 months (31 May 2027) | Ends in 2 years and 6 months (31 May 2027) | 9 |
End of Life
| Release | Released | Active Support | Security Support | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 5 years ago (24 Sep 2019) | Ended 5 months and 3 weeks ago (31 May 2024) | Ended 5 months and 3 weeks ago (31 May 2024) | 8 |
Solutions
Rather than bothering with upgrades, we opted for the long-term support version of Ubuntu 24.04.