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Alpine Linux vs Centos: What are the differences?
Alpine Linux and CentOS are widely used operating systems. Let's explore the key differences between them:
Package Management: Alpine Linux uses its own package manager called APK, which is known for its simplicity, small size, and efficient security model. On the other hand, CentOS uses the YUM (Yellowdog Updater, Modified) package manager. YUM provides a rich set of features and is widely used in the Red Hat ecosystem.
Image Size: One of the main differences between Alpine Linux and CentOS is the size of their base images. Alpine Linux emphasizes minimalism and, as a result, has a significantly smaller image size compared to CentOS. This smaller image size leads to faster downloads, reduced storage requirements, and improved performance in containerized environments.
Security Model: Alpine Linux has a strong focus on security and adopts a minimalist approach by using a small attack surface. It utilizes a hardened kernel and minimal set of default packages to reduce the potential for vulnerabilities. CentOS, on the other hand, offers a more traditional security model and includes a wide range of features and packages that cater to enterprise-level security requirements.
Community Support: CentOS has a larger and more established community compared to Alpine Linux. This results in a wider range of documentation, tutorials, and user forums available for CentOS. The larger community also means that CentOS receives more contributions and updates, making it a preferred choice for enterprises and organizations seeking long-term support and stability.
Default Software Packages: Alpine Linux follows a philosophy of including only essential packages in its base image. This minimalistic approach means that Alpine Linux does not include many of the software packages commonly found in CentOS, such as MySQL, Apache, or systemd. While this approach reduces the attack surface and improves performance, it may require additional effort to manually install required packages.
Memory Usage: Another key difference between Alpine Linux and CentOS is their memory usage. Alpine Linux is optimized for resource-constrained environments and has a smaller memory footprint compared to CentOS. This lower memory usage is particularly beneficial for running containerized applications, where efficient resource utilization is crucial.
In summary, Alpine Linux is a more lightweight and minimalistic option, whereas CentOS provides a more comprehensive and enterprise-ready environment.
Global familiarity, free, widely used, and as a debian distro feels more comfortable when rapidly switching between local macOS and remote command lines.
CentOS does boast quite a few security/stability improvements, however as a RHEL-based distro, differs quite significantly in the command line and suffers from slightly less frequent package updates. (Could be a good or bad thing depending on your use-case and if it is public facing)
Pros of Alpine Linux
- Secure10
- Good in containers9
- Fast8
- Supports armhf, aarch64, x86, ppc64, armv7,s390x1
- Does not run glibc binaries1
- Minimal dependencies1
- Widely used in docker containers everywhere1
- Musl based1
- Choice of init system1
- Excellent Package Manager1
- Small footprint1
- Small install footprint1
- Small memory footprint1
Pros of CentOS
- Stable16
- Free to use9
- Reliable9
- Has epel packages6
- Good support6
- Great Community5
- I've moved from gentoo to centos2
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Cons of Alpine Linux
- Cannot install metasploit2
- Does not run glibc binaries1
- Not for inexperienced users1
Cons of CentOS
- Yum is a horrible package manager1