

CentOS and Kali Linux cater to different user needs, focusing on server stability and security testing tools, respectively. CentOS is preferred for its reliable support and resource efficiency, while Kali Linux is favored by security professionals for its specialized toolkit.
Features: CentOS is known for its stability, extensive hardware support, and compatibility with Linux standards, offering a robust choice for server environments. It supports RHEL packages, ensures security, and provides a flexible command-line interface. Kali Linux is a security-focused distribution with pre-installed tools such as Nmap and Metasploit, allowing for comprehensive security assessments with features catered towards cybersecurity tasks.
Room for Improvement: CentOS could improve in user-friendliness, interface intuitiveness, and documentation. The need for better hardware compatibility and cross-platform integration is notable, with concerns about version stability and scaling. Kali Linux can enhance its user interface, increase documentation, and embed AI and ML features for expansion into broader applications, addressing feedback from its community.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: CentOS supports various deployment environments, including on-premises and cloud options, backed by a strong community and documentation. Lacking commercial technical support, it relies on community assistance. Kali Linux primarily operates in on-premises and cloud settings, with sparse technical support, emphasizing community and documentation for troubleshooting.
Pricing and ROI: CentOS, as a free open-source solution, is cost-efficient for startups and offers high ROI through reduced operational expenses. It saves significantly with its free version, although an enterprise license option exists. Kali Linux, also open source, incurs minimal costs, providing excellent value with its comprehensive free toolset, resulting in substantial savings through its specialized security tools.
I have seen a return on investment, particularly in terms of money saved because I do not pay for the servers.
The money saved was significant, approximately fifteen percent of our IT budget.
It saved a lot of time through troubleshooting, which gives us substantial room for improvement in terms of fixing things.
Integrating Kali Linux with DevOps tools has resulted in reduced operational costs due to automated test cases, making it a worthwhile investment with significant returns by decreasing the attack surface area and the frequency of attack incidents.
If we had installed it on-premises or through other means, it would have incurred significant money and effort to create the VMs, deploy it on machines, and then delete and format it after use.
I have saved time by avoiding the lag I sometimes face on the TryHackMe in-built machine, and I have learned more efficiently.
I would rate the customer support for CentOS a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.
I've seen many people across the globe interacting, and when users encounter issues, the community provides solutions.
I would rate the documentation about eight in terms of usefulness.
Since most of the tools and other things are community-based, the documentation and other community support are very good.
I was able to solve the problems I was experiencing.
CentOS is scalable and user-friendly without requiring complex configurations.
It allows users to scale resources vertically for upgrading hardware and horizontally by adding more servers, making it suitable for modern web hosting and containerized applications.
CentOS's scalability for my organization has handled growth and changing needs smoothly.
Regarding the scalability of Kali Linux for my work and projects, whenever I was conducting brute force attacks and provided more than two or three million lines of payload, the system would freeze.
I find Kali Linux very scalable.
If I need more workload, I would probably need more CPU, and Kali Linux will handle that properly.
CentOS is stable, reliable, flexible, and very useful.
CentOS's simplicity and stability make it easy to use.
I believe CentOS is stable, but we are gradually moving away from it.
Kali Linux is stable for my use cases, though not the latest version.
Kali Linux is very stable for my needs.
The documentation and support could be improved, along with compatibility with newer hardware as hardware continually evolves over time.
Kernel parameters, sysctl config details, tuned profiles, process prioritization, optimized disk, and input scheduler choice are all points for performance optimization.
CentOS RADIUS server handles sensitive authentication data, so improving security is the priority.
If real-time customized port scanning can be added, for example, instead of a default port such as 8080 or 443, if we can use a customized port such as 9876, that capability would be great.
I face significant challenges with Kali Linux regarding a major issue with the Grub loader becoming corrupted, which makes it very difficult to recover data.
Making Kali Linux more customizable would allow users to personalize it to their style.
There was no cost in terms of deploying it or getting the license for it.
CentOS is a free product with free updates.
The enterprise subscription cost is at a certain level, but CentOS saves customers from paying additional money, optimizing costs for enterprises and startups involved in application development.
Kali Linux is free software, an operating system that's available to download without any cost or licensing fees.
I simply create a VM, so there are no costs involved.
My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Kali Linux has been positive, as it operates under an open-source model.
CentOS has helped me most through its enterprise-level stability.
The update cycle changed when CentOS was prioritized for updates, causing stability issues.
In my experience, the best feature that CentOS offers is the network configuration of a device from the command-line interface, which is exceptionally clean.
Kali Linux has positively impacted my organization by improving efficiency in penetration testing; its open-source nature permits extensive customization and inclusion of numerous comprehensive pre-installed tools, contributing to a secure network environment with effective monitoring of network applications.
A unique and really helpful feature of Kali Linux, compared to other operating systems, is that many of the offensive security tools are already pre-configured and pre-installed.
Kali Linux positively impacts my organization by allowing us to monitor changes and security posture for the company.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| CentOS | 4.4% |
| Kali Linux | 3.2% |
| Other | 92.4% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 30 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 22 |
| Large Enterprise | 28 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 10 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 2 |
| Large Enterprise | 14 |
CentOS offers a stable, secure, and compatible environment with Red Hat packages, providing robust performance and cost efficiency. Its lightweight, scalable design and strong community support make it ideal for handling heavy workloads with limited resources.
CentOS is a popular choice for organizations seeking reliable server and virtualization solutions. Known for its robust stability and security, it offers seamless integration and maintenance. However, after a shift from Red Hat, some challenges emerged, including weak NFS client performance and a more complex interface, which beginners find challenging alongside insufficient documentation. Despite these, CentOS remains a favored option for deploying web applications, server installations, and supporting cloud solutions, thanks to its efficient use in monitoring, databases, and telecommunications.
What are CentOS's key features?CentOS is widely used in industries requiring robust infrastructure, such as web hosting, scientific computing, and telecommunications. In data centers, companies deploy it to support virtual environments, testing, and development. The OS powers business applications, email servers, and cloud solutions, offering a cost-effective alternative to Red Hat.
Kali Linux is widely used by organizations for penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, web application security, network audits, ethical hacking, and open-source intelligence, providing extensive free features.
Organizations run Kali Linux in virtualized environments alongside other operating systems, employing tools for automated scans, malware identification, infrastructure testing, and application development or hosting. These users benefit from lower maintenance requirements and a smaller footprint. The toolset includes Nmap, SQLMap, Metasploit, and Hydra, ensuring effective security assessments. Its high scalability, performance, user-friendly interface, and extensive documentation enhance the platform's usability. Known for stability, flexibility, and virus resistance, Kali Linux supports web security, troubleshooting, and configuration tasks comprehensively.
What are the most important features of Kali Linux?
What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?
Kali Linux can support industries in improving security through stable and flexible environments that resist viruses and provide extensive documentation. Users employ it for web security, troubleshooting, and configuring capabilities. Necessary improvements include automation, user-friendliness, and integrating AI and blockchain. Enhancements in security features, faster installations, and better learning tools are also essential. Machine learning integration and non-enterprise user functionalities can address current limitations.
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