How long does CentOS support a release?

[BWF89]

I know that each version of RHEL is supported for 7 years after release. And I know that CentOS is a clone copy of RHEL only with logos removed. I was on their website but I couldn't seem to find how long CentOS supports each release before you have to upgrade. Does anyone know?

I might be getting a job soon and if that happens I'll be able to save up for my own computer to run Linux on. I've heard some horror stories about upgrading from the previous release of both Ubuntu and Fedora without doing a fresh install and it involves everything getting screwed up. If I wanted to reinstall my OS every year (or every 18 months) I'd stick with Windows and I'm looking for something that is useable but (and at the risk of sounding lazy) something that I can install, get support for, and not have to reinstall for a couple of years. Does CentOS, or any other non-commercial distros provide support that comes close to RHEL but remain relitively easy to use?

[dtfinch]

I'm pretty sure they'll update it as long as Red Hat does.

http://www.centos.org/modules/smartfaq/faq.php?faqid=42

I've usually use CentOS on servers and occasionally on my desktop. On the desktop, everything works, usually quite well, but I often get the urge to switch back to something new. Right now it'd be like running Ubuntu Warty. CentOS 5 should be out around late December or early January, and then it'll be new again for a while.

I don't really know about support. Free support is community support plus patches wherever you go, but Ubuntu has more desktop users. Red Hat doesn't offer nearly as many extra packages as Ubuntu and Debian do, but you can find a number of third party rpm repositories. Dag Wieers' repositories are pretty popular.

[BWF89]

Thanks Dtfinch. When I was going through the FAQ I didn't look at the specific releases FAQ, I just at the general one.

[Dragonbite]

Chances are if they are going to support CentOS 4 which has been out for a year (or more.. I'm back-dating from December's RHEL 5 due date) and it is covered until 2012 that sounds like about the same time frame; 7 years.