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Group Manager at HCL Technologies
Real User
Easy to set up, great for access controls and captures inappropriate usage
Pros and Cons
  • "It’s scalable."
  • "In terms of commands, it's all CLI and there isn't any GUI which can make it challenging to use for some people."

What is most valuable?

It is good for ensuring that only approved applications are allowed to run. Other applications, which have not been approved by IT, are picked up as violations. You really can define at the start of it, what is approved, what is not approved, and you can clearly identify if there's an exhibition of unapproved applications and that get filtered or blocked by the tool.

The security and IT team can go back and question the user to see why that particular application was run or maybe do further investigation in terms of seeing if that machine has attracted any malware.

The solution is stable.

It’s scalable.

The initial setup is pretty simple.

What needs improvement?

The solution could be a bit more user-friendly. In terms of commands, it's all CLI and there isn't any GUI which can make it challenging to use for some people.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using it for the last two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn’t crash or freeze. It’s reliable.

Buyer's Guide
CentOS
February 2025
Learn what your peers think about CentOS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have found that the solution can scale.

Our company has 15 to 20 users leveraging it right now.

How are customer service and support?

I’ve never directly dealt with technical support. I can’t speak to how helpful they are.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using Redhat Linux. We just had the application need, which is why we adopted this product.

How was the initial setup?

It was just an application requirement. The application we are managing requires CentOS, which we had to install. There wasn't any choice.

For CentOS, the setup itself is straightforward. It didn't take much time. We installed it in one day. It was just the image that was installed. It also doesn’t take much staff to deploy or maintain the product.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing is per device.

What other advice do I have?

I’m not sure which version of the solution we’re using. It might be version 8.

I’d recommend the solution to others. However, it all depends upon if the application needs it. If there is an application dependency, yes, you will need that. However, it'll come from a specific need.

We have not been using the OS as such. We have been just managing the application on the OS. We have been only supporting the application. We don't do anything, particularly on CentOS. We are doing all the settings on the application that's running on top of it.

That said, the product is okay. It's good, stable. It hasn't given us any issues, and we have no performance problems. I’d rate it overall an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Group CEO at Mmusi Group
Real User
An upstream open source development platform that allows you to alternate certain things and minimize admin features
Pros and Cons
  • "I like how you can alternate certain things and minimize admin features on there and just let it run on specific scripts. It's nice. Even if I had to put it in a container, I'd still do it. I prefer Linux over Windows any day."
  • "The price could be better. They could add more drivers in terms of peripherals and other things. Add more drivers for the Linux specifications in the next release. Right now, they are just pushing to have more drivers for Windows instead of Linux."

What is our primary use case?

I use CentOS for business applications and personal applications. Because Linux is an operating system, the use case will differ from person to person. We used it to host our scripting servers and infrastructure layout.

What is most valuable?

I like how you can alternate certain things and minimize admin features on there and just let it run on specific scripts. It's nice. Even if I had to put it in a container, I'd still do it. I prefer Linux over Windows any day.

What needs improvement?

The price could be better. They could add more drivers in terms of peripherals and other things. Add more drivers for the Linux specifications in the next release. Right now, they are just pushing to have more drivers for Windows instead of Linux.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using CentOS since 2010.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

CentOS is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

CentOS is a scalable solution.

How are customer service and support?

CentOS tech support is fine.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

At the time, there were quite a lot of options like Linux, Red Hat, and Ubuntu. But if you're already using these commands that work here, they will be the ones that work there. So, we chose CentOS.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost depends on how the organization or a specific person licenses it. If you want the free version, there's Ubuntu which is supported by forums. You can pay for the license yearly or pay for a specific version.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to potential users.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give CentOS a nine.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
CentOS
February 2025
Learn what your peers think about CentOS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Shaamil Ashraff - PeerSpot reviewer
Architect - Database Administration at Mitra Innovation
Real User
Top 5
A very robust tool that doesn't consume unnecessary resources
Pros and Cons
  • "The product's initial setup phase is very straightforward."
  • "I have had a tough time with the product's scalability, making it an area where improvements are required."

What is our primary use case?

I have set up some databases on CentOS, like MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle, and RabbitMQ.

What is most valuable?

Regarding the most valuable features of the product, I can say that an operating system is a very robust tool. The product doesn't consume unnecessary resources, and it is very lightweight as an operating system. In our company, we are able to do a lot with the limited or small amount of resources offered by the tool. The aforementioned area covers my favorite aspects of using a Linux-based product like CentOS.

What needs improvement?

I have had a tough time with the product's scalability, making it an area where improvements are required.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using CentOS for five to six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a robust and stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Though it is scalable, the processes attached to it are not straightforward.

There are around four to five people who use the product.

How was the initial setup?

The product's initial setup phase is very straightforward. For a technical person, it can be very easy to install the tool.

One needs to follow a standard deployment process for CentOS. It has a few simple steps, and as long as we use the correct parameters, it will spin up the OS correctly.

What was our ROI?

My company gets regular updates on the product, which helps to save our company's costs.

What other advice do I have?

The product's security features are really good.

The integration capabilities of the product with other tools in the market are okay.

CentOS is a lightweight operating system that offers stability. I would recommend CentOS or any other Linux-based tools.

I have not used any AI with CentOS.

CentOS is an open-source product, so there are no licensing costs attached to the tool.

The value of using the solution is the fact that it is a lightweight product that is easy to implement.

I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Landry  Mbala - PeerSpot reviewer
Développeur applications at Trust Merchant Bank
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
A stable solution that helps to create applications
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is based on Red Hat and very stable."
  • "The tool has no official support."

What is most valuable?

The product is based on Red Hat and very stable. 

What needs improvement?

The tool has no official support. 

For how long have I used the solution?

The product helps us to create applications. 

How are customer service and support?

We had used support in the past and it was good. 

How was the initial setup?

The product's setup is simple. You can deploy the solution in one hour. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the product a nine out of ten. One admin is enough to maintain the product. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Muhammad-Mwinchande - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Developer at NMB Bank
Real User
Highly availability, performs well, but user interface could improve
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of CentOS are it is built from Linux, has good performance, and can we can create scripts. The scripts are you to do minor work automatically."
  • "If CentOS could add Office features then that would be beneficial. Additionally, the UI could improve."

What is our primary use case?

I am using CentOS for hosting applications.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of CentOS are it is built from Linux, has good performance, and can we can create scripts. The scripts are you to do minor work automatically.

What needs improvement?

If CentOS could add Office features then that would be beneficial. Additionally, the UI could improve.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using CentOS for approximately three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

CentOS has been stable in our usage. We have had one server up for five years without any problems.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

CentOS is scalable. However, it is depending on the deployment. We use Docker for our applications so we have not scaled the solution, but if the bandwidth is good then CentOS can be scaled.

Our entire company infrastructure is using CentOS. When I host an application, it's usable by about 1,000 people.

How are customer service and support?

The support is handled by our other team. Even though I'm facing an issue, I talk to our team. If they cannot handle it, then they scale it to the CentOS support team.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I use MacOS, Windows, and Ubuntu on a daily basis.

For a server environment, I would recommend CentOS, but for normal usage, I would recommend MacOS.

When you buy a Mac it just comes with MacOS which is beautiful to work on. If I'm using a Windows laptop, I would go for CentOS. However, the problem with CentOS is there is no Microsoft Office.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

For the enterprise version of CentOS, there is a license required. However, for personal use, I do not need a license.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to others is if they have a server environment then I would recommend CentOS. It's stable. One of the only letdowns is the repository for some applications, it takes time for CentOS to adapt.

It has to do with the ecosystem of CentOS, I'm not sure. When comparing CentOS to Ubuntu, if Ubuntu comes out with a release today and a few days later you see you can install it.

I rate CentOS a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Phat Chau - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution architect at EASY CREDIT Vietnam
Real User
Top 5
Cost-effective product with an easy setup process
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a scalable and cost-effective product compared to public cloud solutions."
  • "There could be more integration features included in the product."

What is our primary use case?

We use CentOS for repository features.

What needs improvement?

There could be more integration features included in the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using CentOS for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have five CentOS customers. It is a scalable and cost-effective product compared to public cloud solutions.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup process is easy. It requires five executives for deployment, including managers, admins, engineers, and developers. It takes around a month to complete.

What about the implementation team?

We take the help of a reseller to implement the product.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We don’t have to pay for the system’s licenses.

What other advice do I have?

I rate CentOS a nine out of ten.

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
SulaimanMustapha - PeerSpot reviewer
CRS at Kneedrag
Real User
A scalable, stable test and development solution that would benefit from notification features for upgrade deployment
Pros and Cons
  • "The latest version of this solution has everything built in, making it comprehensive and very easy to use."
  • "There is no notification before updates are applied to the solution, which occasionally means that new functionality isn't compatible with how the product is currently being used, and causes issues."

What is our primary use case?

This solution is mainly used for testing and development purposes.

What is most valuable?

The latest version of this solution has everything built in, making it comprehensive and very easy to use.

What needs improvement?

There is no notification before updates are applied to the solution, which occasionally means that new functionality isn't compatible with how the product is currently being used, and causes issues.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with this solution for around 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found this solution to be stable during my time using it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is very scalable, you simply add a node and expand a cluster so that you can scale out on your containerization.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup for this solution is straightforward and very self-intuitive.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This is an open-source solution, so there are no licensing costs involved.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1889697 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Product Officer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 10
Straightforward to set up, easy to use, and open-source
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to troubleshoot."
  • "The solution could be more scalable."

What is our primary use case?

We deploy our products onto the solution. We use it as an OS. Our support team deploys it to customers. 

What is most valuable?

Overall, the solution works well. 

The team is very comfortable using it. 

It is very simple and straightforward to set up.

The solution is stable.

It's open-source.

The solution is easy to troubleshoot.

As a well-known product, it's easy to find people who know the solution well. 

What needs improvement?

I'm not an expert on the solution. I cannot pinpoint specific issues. 

The solution could be more scalable.

For how long have I used the solution?

The company has used the solution for more than ten years, and I have used the solution in the company for one year (since I came on board).

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very good. I'd rate it eight or nine out of ten. There are no bugs or glitches. We haven't had any issues. There haven't been any crashes. It doesn't freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability could be better. It doesn't scale that well. I'd rate the scalability seven or eight out of ten.

We have around 50 people, our support team, using the solution. 

Our support team deploys the solution on the customer side to assist customers, so the amount of usage would depend on the number of customers we have.

How are customer service and support?

We get support from a vendor. It's open source. We can figure out how to troubleshoot on our own. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I've also used Oracle Linux as well. We put deep packet processing on the Linux solution.

How was the initial setup?

We haven't had issues with the setup. The support team is comfortable handling the setup. 

The deployment isn't too long. I didn't get a sense that the deployment took too long. 

They mostly give you a file, and it's deployed in a single step. It's not a big project.

We have about five people who handle deployment and maintenance. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is open-source. We do not pay a licensing fee. 

What other advice do I have?

We may be using version nine of the solution. 

This is a very widely known solution that is very stable. It's easy to find engineers comfortable with it since its usage is common. 

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free CentOS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: February 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free CentOS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.