{"id":3950,"date":"2023-11-24T16:34:23","date_gmt":"2023-11-24T08:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/?post_type=kb&#038;p=3950"},"modified":"2026-03-13T17:37:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T09:37:47","slug":"centos-8-alternatives-migration-guide","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/kb\/centos-8-alternatives-migration-guide","title":{"rendered":"Navigating the CentOS 8 Migration Landscape: Exploring Your Options"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"markdown markdown-main-panel\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\" data-sourcepos=\"9:1-9:28\"><strong>Alternatives to CentOS 8<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"5:1-5:16\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3951\" src=\"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52-300x169.jpeg\" alt=\" CentOS 8\" width=\"680\" height=\"383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52-370x208.jpeg 370w, https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52-1230x692.jpeg 1230w, https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52-800x450.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52-390x219.jpeg 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"7:1-7:291\">CentOS 8 reached its end-of-life on December 31, 2021. As a result, users are forced to migrate to a different operating system. Red Hat&#8217;s decision to end support for CentOS 8 remains controversial in the Linux community. However, it is important to find a suitable replacement for CentOS 8.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"11:1-11:122\">There are several alternatives to CentOS 8, all of which are based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) code. These include:<\/p>\n<ul data-sourcepos=\"13:1-17:0\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"13:1-13:11\">AlmaLinux<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"14:1-14:13\">Rocky Linux<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"15:1-15:14\">Oracle Linux<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"16:1-17:0\">CentOS Stream<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"18:1-18:162\">These distributions are all 100% binary compatible with CentOS 8, meaning that your current projects running on CentOS should run on each of them in the same way.<\/p>\n<h2 data-sourcepos=\"20:1-20:27\"><strong>Choosing an Alternative<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"22:1-22:284\">The decision of which distribution to migrate to is less about the functionality of the operating system and more about how it is <span class=\"citation-0 citation-end-0\">developed and maintained. Some of the alternatives are free community projects, while others are backed by large-scale commercial businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"24:1-24:13\"><strong>AlmaLinux<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"26:1-26:286\">AlmaLinux is a semi-commercial project that is widely recognized in the IT community. It is supported by CloudLinux, a company that invested approximately $1 million to develop AlmaLinux. AlmaLinux is a good choice for users who are looking for a stable and well-supported distribution.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"28:1-28:15\"><strong>Rocky Linux<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"30:1-30:295\">Rocky Linux is an independent project with a free community support. It is led by Henry Kurtzer, one of the co-founders of the original CentOS operating system. Rocky Linux is a good choice for users who are looking for a distribution that is developed by a team of experienced Linux developers.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"32:1-32:16\"><strong>Oracle Linux<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"34:1-34:196\">Oracle Linux is a distribution that is backed by Oracle, one of the most prominent IT companies. Oracle Linux is a good choice for users who are looking for a distribution with commercial support.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"36:1-36:17\"><strong>CentOS Stream<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"38:1-38:222\">CentOS Stream is a rolling release distribution of RHEL. It is a good choice for users who want the latest software and features. However, it is important to note that CentOS Stream is not as stable as other distributions.<\/p>\n<h2 data-sourcepos=\"55:1-55:41\"><strong>Table Comparing CentOS 8 Alternatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div class=\"horizontal-scroll-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"table-block-component\">\n<div class=\"table-block\">\n<div class=\"table-content\">\n<table data-sourcepos=\"57:1-64:60\">\n<tbody>\n<tr data-sourcepos=\"57:1-57:68\">\n<th data-sourcepos=\"57:1-57:9\">Feature<\/th>\n<th data-sourcepos=\"57:11-57:21\">AlmaLinux<\/th>\n<th data-sourcepos=\"57:23-57:35\">Rocky Linux<\/th>\n<th data-sourcepos=\"57:37-57:50\">Oracle Linux<\/th>\n<th data-sourcepos=\"57:52-57:66\">CentOS Stream<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-sourcepos=\"59:1-59:57\">\n<td data-sourcepos=\"59:1-59:11\">Developer<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"59:13-59:24\">CloudLinux<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"59:26-59:36\">Community<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"59:38-59:45\">Oracle<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"59:47-59:55\">Red Hat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-sourcepos=\"60:1-60:66\">\n<td data-sourcepos=\"60:1-60:9\">Support<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"60:11-60:27\">Semi-commercial<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"60:29-60:39\">Community<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"60:41-60:52\">Commercial<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"60:54-60:64\">Community<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-sourcepos=\"61:1-61:54\">\n<td data-sourcepos=\"61:1-61:15\">Release Cycle<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"61:17-61:24\">Stable<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"61:26-61:33\">Stable<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"61:35-61:42\">Stable<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"61:44-61:52\">Rolling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-sourcepos=\"62:1-62:45\">\n<td data-sourcepos=\"62:1-62:11\">Stability<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"62:13-62:18\">High<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"62:20-62:25\">High<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"62:27-62:32\">High<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"62:34-62:43\">Moderate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-sourcepos=\"63:1-63:155\">\n<td data-sourcepos=\"63:1-63:10\">Features<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"63:12-63:49\">100% binary compatible with CentOS 8<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"63:51-63:88\">100% binary compatible with CentOS 8<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"63:90-63:127\">100% binary compatible with CentOS 8<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"63:129-63:153\">Rolling release of RHEL<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-sourcepos=\"64:1-64:60\">\n<td data-sourcepos=\"64:1-64:6\">Cost<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"64:8-64:13\">Free<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"64:15-64:20\">Free<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"64:22-64:51\">Free with commercial support<\/td>\n<td data-sourcepos=\"64:53-64:58\">Free<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 data-sourcepos=\"29:1-29:32\"><strong>How to Migrate from CentOS 8<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"31:1-31:49\">Before migrating, make sure to back up your data.<\/p>\n<h4 data-sourcepos=\"33:1-33:31\"><strong>How to Migrate to AlmaLinux<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Update your current distribution by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">dnf update\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Download the distribution from GitHub using the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">curl -O https:\/\/raw.githubusercontent.com\/AlmaLinux\/almalinux-deploy\/master\/almalinux-deploy.sh\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Assign all necessary permissions to the script by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">chmod +x almalinux-deploy.sh\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Run the script by typing the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">.\/almalinux-deploy.sh\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Reboot your system by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">reboot\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<h4 data-sourcepos=\"60:1-60:33\"><strong>How to Migrate to Rocky Linux<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Update your current distribution by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">dnf update\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Download the distribution from GitHub using the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">curl -O <a class=\"traceable-link\" href=\"https:\/\/raw.githubusercontent.com\/rocky-linux\/rocky-tools\/main\/migrate2rocky\/migrate2rocky.sh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/raw.githubusercontent.com\/rocky-linux\/rocky-tools\/main\/migrate2rocky\/migrate2rocky.sh<\/a><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Give the script all necessary permissions by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">chmod u+x migrate2rocky.sh\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Execute the script itself by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">.\/migrate2rocky.sh -r\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Reboot your system by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">reboot\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<h4 data-sourcepos=\"87:1-87:35\"><strong>How to Migrate to CentOS Stream<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Update your current distribution by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">dnf update\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Start the installation by typing the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">dnf install centos-release-stream\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Change the repository for CentOS Stream by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">dnf swap centos-linux-repos centos-stream-repos\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sync all your existing packages with the new distribution by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">dnf distro-sync\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Reboot your system by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">reboot\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<h4 data-sourcepos=\"114:1-114:34\"><strong>How to Migrate to Oracle Linux<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Update your current distribution by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">dnf update\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Download the distribution from GitHub by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">curl -O https:\/\/raw.githubusercontent.com\/oracle\/centos2ol\/main\/centos2ol.sh\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Replace your CentOS 8 with the Oracle by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">.\/centos2ol.sh\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Reboot your system by running the command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-star-inserted\">\n<pre><code class=\"code-container no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\">reboot<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<h2 data-sourcepos=\"40:1-40:32\"><strong style=\"font-size: 3.2143rem; letter-spacing: -0.3px;\">Additional Information<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul data-sourcepos=\"68:1-72:0\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"68:1-68:99\">All of the distributions mentioned in this article <span class=\"citation-1\">are very close to the original CentOS 8.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"69:1-69:99\"><span class=\"citation-1\">Developers of all mentioned distributions also made it easy to migrate using just a few commands.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"70:1-70:98\"><span class=\"citation-1 citation-end-1\">Your decision which alternative to use should be based on who stands behind each project.<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"71:1-72:0\">If you <span class=\"citation-2 citation-end-2\">were to recommend just one distribution, it would undoubtedly be AlmaLinux. It has the stability thanks to the backing of CloudLinux and the energy coming from the community.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 data-sourcepos=\"51:1-51:14\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"53:1-53:169\">The end of life of CentOS 8 is a major event in the Linux community. However, there are several alternative operating systems that are available. By following the steps in this guide, you can migrate your server to a new operating system with minimal downtime.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"53:1-53:169\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alternatives to CentOS 8 CentOS 8 reached its end-of-life on December 31, 2021. As a result, users are forced to migrate to a different operating system. Red Hat&#8217;s decision to end support for CentOS 8 remains controversial in the Linux community. However, it is important to find a suitable replacement for CentOS 8. There are several alternatives to CentOS 8,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"kbtopic":[1099],"kbtag":[1224],"class_list":["post-3950","kb","type-kb","status-publish","hentry","kbtopic-tutorials","kbtag-centos-8"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kb\/3950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3950"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kb\/3950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6262,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kb\/3950\/revisions\/6262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"kbtopic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kbtopic?post=3950"},{"taxonomy":"kbtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kbtag?post=3950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}