Red Hat Enterprise Linux derivatives
Derivatives of Red Hat Enterprise Linux refer to Linux distributions that are built upon the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) framework.
History
Red Hat Linux became widely adopted by providing both a commercially supported edition and a free version available for download, with support services serving as the key distinguishing factor. In 2003, Red Hat redirected its efforts towards Red Hat Enterprise Linux, aiming at customers who pay for enterprise-grade solutions. Meanwhile, the community-driven Fedora project continued as a freely accessible upstream development platform for CentOS Stream and ultimately for Red Hat Enterprise Linux itself.
Features
RHEL-based derivatives generally incorporate the common feature set found in official RHEL releases. Their versioning aligns directly with RHEL’s numbering, guaranteeing binary compatibility so that applications compiled for RHEL operate smoothly on these cost-free alternatives with little to no adjustments.
Legal aspects
The GNU General Public License promotes unrestricted redistribution of Red Hat’s software components. Nevertheless, to safeguard Red Hat’s trademark rights, any redistribution must exclude all trademarked elements. Projects such as CentOS have received legal requests mandating removal of Red Hat trademarks from their websites and product materials.
Prominent Red Hat Enterprise Linux derivatives
- AlmaLinux – A fully community-governed successor to CentOS, overseen by the non-profit AlmaLinux OS Foundation.
- Bull's XBAS (bullx) – designed specifically for high-performance computing environments.
- Circle Linux – a community-led distribution focused on achieving full compatibility.
- ClearOS
- EulerOS – certified according to The Open Group’s UNIX 03 standard.
- EuroLinux – produced by EuroLinux company, offered under an open core licensing model featuring paid support and custom forks; earlier iterations were based on Scientific Linux.
- Inspur K-UX – holds UNIX 03 certification.
- MIRACLE LINUX – an enterprise-grade distribution developed by Cybertrust Japan.
- NethServer – a server-oriented distribution providing configurable services through a WebGUI interface.
- Oracle Linux – freely available for download and use, with optional commercial support from Oracle.
- RedSleeve Linux – ARMv5/ARMv6 builds covering EL6 through EL9 for legacy hardware platforms.
- Rocky Linux – a community-supported CentOS replacement launched by CentOS founder Gregory Kurtzer.
- Redpesk – secure embedded Linux tailored for industrial IoT devices, supported long-term by IoT.bzh.
- Springdale Linux – formerly known as PUIAS Linux, constructed by compiling RHEL source packages.
- VzLinux – created by Virtuozzo, optimized for containerized workloads, virtual machines, and physical servers.
Distributions oriented towards appliances include:
- Amazon.com Amazon Linux AMI – combines RHEL7 userland with a linux-xen kernel
- Google Search Appliance – derived from CentOS
- VMware ESX Service Console
Discontinued or legacy distributions:
- CAOS Linux
- CentOS – final release was version 8 (2019), with version 7 supported until mid-2024
- ClefOS – a CentOS variant adapted for IBM Z
- Fermi Linux – based on Scientific Linux tailored for Fermilab
- Rocks Cluster Distribution
- ROSA Enterprise Linux Server
- Scientific Linux – maintenance updates provided until mid-2024
- SME Server – built on CentOS 7, supported until mid-2024
- StartCom Enterprise Linux
- White Box Enterprise Linux – no longer under active development
- Yellow Dog Linux
See also
- EPEL, Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux
- List of commercial products based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux
- Long-term support