This article will familiarize you with the CentOS 7 operating system’s features and capabilities. You can download the CentOS 8 minimal version at the end of this article.
What is CentOS
CentOS (Community Enterprise Operating System) was a free and open-source Linux distribution that provided a stable, reliable, and secure platform for server and enterprise applications. It was based on the source code of the popular Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) distribution, with the branding and trademarks removed. CentOS aimed to provide a freely available alternative to RHEL for users who did not require Red Hat’s commercial support.
Centos 8 Key Features
CentOS 8 is a Linux distribution released by the CentOS Project, a community-driven free and open-source software project. It is based on the source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and aims to provide a stable and reliable operating system for servers and workstations.
Stability and Long-Term Support: CentOS 8 is known for its stability and long-term support. It inherits the robustness and reliability of RHEL and offers updates and security patches for a significant period, providing a stable environment for production systems.
Modern Kernel and Software Packages: CentOS 8 comes with an updated Linux kernel and software packages, providing better performance, improved hardware support, and the latest features compared to previous versions. It includes newer versions of popular software, such as GCC, Python, and systems.
Security Enhancements: CentOS 8 incorporates various security enhancements to protect the system and its users. It includes features like Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) for access control, a firewall for managing firewall rules, and OpenSCAP for system hardening and compliance scanning.
Streamlined Installer: The installer in CentOS 8 has been redesigned to provide a more streamlined and user-friendly experience. It offers a graphical interface and a text-based installer, making it easier to install the operating system on different hardware configurations.
Improved Performance and Resource Management: CentOS 8 includes performance optimizations and improvements in resource management. It utilizes the Control Group (group) v2 subsystem to better control and allocate system resources, which can benefit virtualization and containerization scenarios.
Containerization and Virtualization Support: CentOS 8 supports various containerization technologies, such as Docker and Podman, allowing you to deploy and manage containerized applications. It also offers virtualization capabilities through the KVM hypervisor and supports tools like libvirt and virt-manager.
Developer-Friendly Tools: CentOS 8 provides a range of developer-friendly tools and frameworks, including programming languages like Python, Ruby, and Java, as well as development tools like Git, Subversion, and various IDEs. It also offers a rich ecosystem of software repositories for easy package installation.
CentOS Stream: With CentOS 8, the CentOS Project introduced CentOS Stream, a rolling-release distribution between the development process of RHEL and the stable releases of CentOS. CentOS Stream provides continuous delivery of updates and allows users to align closely with RHEL development.
These are some of the critical features of CentOS 8, making it a popular choice for server deployments and enterprise environments.
Centos 8 Minimum Requirements
Processor: Recommended: 2 GHz dual-core processor or higher (Minimum: 1.5 GHz single-core processor)
RAM: Recommended: 2 GB or more (Minimum: 1 GB)
Storage: Recommended: 20 GB of free disk space or more (Minimum: 10 GB of free disk space)
Display: Graphics card and monitor capable of 800×600 resolution or higher
Network: A network connection is required for software updates and other network services.
It’s important to note that these requirements are considered the minimum and recommended specifications for CentOS 8. You may need more resources to achieve optimal performance depending on your specific use case or workload.
What is CentOS minimal?
Minimal: This is a minimal version of the “bin” CentOS OS install. You would use this instead of “bin” if you do not need anything but a truly utterly bare CentOS OS to install with pretty much no GUI. This is good for server environments where you only need Terminal access and a core OS.
How to Download Centos 8
CentOS 8 was the latest stable release of CentOS. However, it is essential to note that CentOS 8 reached its end of life (EOL) in December 2021, and CentOS has shifted its focus to CentOS Stream as a rolling-release distribution. Therefore, CentOS 8 is no longer recommended for new installations.
However, if you still wish to download CentOS 8, you can follow these steps:
Visit the CentOS official website at https://www.centos.org/download/
Click on the “Get CentOS Now” button on the homepage.
On the downloads page, you will see different versions and architectures available. Choose the appropriate version and architecture for your system.
Click on the download link to start the download.
Depending on your browser, the download may start automatically, or you may be prompted to select a location to save the ISO file. Choose a location and wait for the download to complete.
Once the download is complete, you can create a bootable USB drive or burn the ISO file to a DVD and use it to install CentOS 8 on your system.
CentOS 8 is no longer supported, so it may not receive security updates or bug fixes. Consider alternatives such as CentOS Stream, Fedora, or other CentOS-based distributions for new installations.
Download CentOS 8