Fedora VS Red Hat
If you're interested in server operating systems, then you must have come across two famous Linux distributions powering enterprise systems, Fedora and Red Hat. They are both Linux-based systems, and while they share many similarities, they have some unique differences. In this post, we'll compare the two, providing a factual and unbiased comparison to help you choose the right server operating system for your use case.
What is Fedora?
Fedora is a community-driven open-source Linux distribution that serves as a testing ground for the creation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). It is built on the latest open-source technologies and offers a 6-month release cycle, providing users with a stable, secure, and cutting-edge platform.
What is Red Hat?
Red Hat is an enterprise-grade Linux distribution that provides a stable and reliable platform for businesses. It offers a long-term supported version called Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) that is built from Fedora's development branch. Red Hat has been around for over 25 years and has a reputation for being a top-quality open-source platform.
Comparison
Target Audience
Fedora is primarily targeted at individual developers and enthusiasts who want the latest and greatest features. On the other hand, Red Hat is targeted at enterprise organizations that want a reliable and stable platform for running their critical business applications.
Licensing
Fedora is released under the GNU General Public License and is entirely free to use and distribute. Red Hat, on the other hand, is a commercial product that requires a license to run. However, Red Hat offers a free version, CentOS, which is derived from RHEL's source code.
Release Cycle
Fedora releases a new version every six months, while Red Hat releases a new version every three years. Red Hat's long-term support (LTS) provides ten years of security and maintenance updates for each release.
Support
Fedora is predominantly community-driven and has excellent community support. Red Hat, on the other hand, is one of the leading open-source companies in the world, and as such, provides excellent support to its paying customers.
Security
Both operating systems offer top-notch security features. However, Red Hat's system is held to a higher security standard, being marketed primarily to enterprises.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Fedora and Red Hat are both excellent Linux-based distributions, each with its unique features and target audience. If you're an individual developer or enthusiast, and you want to use the latest and greatest in open-source technology, Fedora is the perfect choice. However, if you're an enterprise organization and require the assurance of stable and reliable software, then Red Hat is the perfect choice.
References
- Fedora Project. (2022). Fedora Documentation. Retrieved from: https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/docs/
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux. (n.d). What is Red Hat Enterprise Linux? Retrieved from: https://www.redhat.com/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux