[SOLVED] Linux distributions with 5+ years support

[buzzingrobot]

CentOS is a sanctioned rebuild of Red Hat Enterprise Linux with all the Red Hat trademarks and branding replaced. Scientific is the same without the relationship with Red Hat. It's important to note that these are not derivatives of Red Hat. They are rebuilds of Red Hat source packages. With a few documented exceptions, RH's code is not modified.

CentOS 6.8 and CentOS 7.2 are currently available. 6.8 support ends in 2020. It's a Gnome 2.28 desktop from 2010. 7.2 is on Gnome 3.14, and rumors say it will go to 3.18 on the Red Hat's next upgrade. The initial release was in 2014, so add 10 years to that.

Red Hat does not target mainstream desktop users who want to keep pace with the latest application releases. Before commiting to either release, decide if the applications available to you now will keep youi happy for the next several years because it's probably not going to be possible to upgrade them.

Red Hat also has a strict free software policy, so it doesn't include proprietary codecs, Flash, etc. Flash is available from Adobe, and some of the others are available from third-party repos.

[mörgæs]

Any operative system will benefit from a reinstall once in a while, especially a desktop. Supported or not I would not keep a system running for more than five years.

[Rooster2000]

Thanks for the replies so far. I guess it is becoming more clear now.
Basically there seems to be two groups of alternatives:

1. Debian/Ubuntu -related distributions with 5 years support
2. RHEL -related distributions with 10 years support.

Here is a table of what I have collected of them so far:

OS	Version	Desktop*	Editions (bit)	Support (yrs)**	Released	End-of-life
CentOS	7.0	GNOME	32/64	7+3	07.07.14	06-2024
Scientific Linux	7	GNOME	64	5+5	13.10.14	06-2024
Kubuntu	16.04 LTS	KDE	32/64	5	21.04.16	04-2021
Linux Mint	18	Xfce	32/64	5	05/07-2016	04-2021
Ubuntu	16.04 LTS	Unity	32/64	5	21.04.16	04-2021
Debian	8.0	LXDE	32/64	3+2	25.04.15	05-2020
LXLE	14.04.3 LTS	LXDE	32/64	5	30.08.15	04-2020
Trisquel Mini	7.0 LTS	LXDE	32/64	5	03.11.14	04-2019
Lubuntu	16.04 LTS	LXDE	32/64	3	21.04.16	04-2019
Ubuntu GNOME	16.04 LTS	GNOME	32/64	3	21.04.16	04-2019
Xubuntu	16.04 LTS	Xfce	32/64	3	21.04.16	04-2019

Edit 2016-06-09: Changed LXLE 14.04.3 LTS End-of-life date from 04-2021 to 04-2020.

*) Lightest desktop available is selected
**) Full support + possible maintenance/security updates

Based on a brief testing, looks like that these Ubuntu -based systems would have more of the applications I use ready as official packages, whereas at least CentOS seems to have less of them.

[Rooster2000]

But I have an adventurous side to me that love's to see whats is always current

I guess this side is very weak in me, or then it is just being repressed by the side that expects everything to remain stable, predictable, familiar and somewhat functional.

Isn't Kubuntu supported for 5 years in LTS. I cant remember.

Yes it is.

no one says you have to stop using the system after period expires, it's just that there are no more security updates for it.

True, but I suppose this is not very recommended, at least if one is going to have the system connected to internet and contain any kind of personal data.

[mastablasta]

if there was better backwards compatibility then this support period wouldn't be such an issue. Windows is descent at that and you can easilly install older version of software on new releases. manufacturers usually provide at least some sort of drivers (legacy or something) and they too support their hardware on windows longer. also the other way arround. ther eis no xservers upgrades and such that would mess up the legacy drivers (AMD).

[montag dp]

I don't think there's an official support length, but Slackware 13.0 has been supported since 2009:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slackware#Releases

Looking at the release and EOL dates, it seems to be anywhere from 5-10 years for a given release.

[QDR06VV9]

I guess this side is very weak in me, or then it is just being repressed by the side that expects everything to remain stable, predictable, familiar and somewhat functional.

Oh don't get me wrong I am very picky with things being Snappy, Crisp, and work like they were Advertised...but once in blue moon I have to fiddle a bit, but not so much that it becomes a nuisance.
But the good or GREAT thing about Linux is the Choices we can make or have before us..
Kind Regards

[Rooster2000]

Before making any conclusions considering available applications, is Linux Packages Search - pkgs.org a reliable source to determine the content of repositories in those distributions included? I haven't been really able to find many distribution -related online package lists, especially not for CentOS or Scientific Linux. I just found a mention from CentOS Help | Repos according which:

You can have a look at the packages here: http://dev.centos.org/centos/7/

But that is just a directory list, and my knowledge lacks to determinate based on it what packages are included in which CentOS repository.

[Rooster2000]

There seems to be this one third party repository for CentOS called EPEL that has many of the applications I am using at the moment, but which are not included on CentOS core repositories. It is warned on the CentOS Wiki - Repositories site that

If you are considering using a 3rd Party Repository, then you should seriously consider how to prevent unintended 'updates' from these side archives from over-writing some core part of CentOS.

EPEL belongs anyway into so-called Community Approved Repositories, which are

frequently recommended by the community, usually well maintained, and provide a substantial number of additional packages to CentOS. They are still not associated with CentOS, but are independent. The above warnings about updates and priorities should still be heeded!

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about the stability effect of EPEL to CentOS 7 or Scientific Linux 7?

[rosswmcgee]

Five years is an eternity in technology, I would be itching to try something new way before then. I know people who are using linux distros way beyond 5 years and never upgraded. They lose

security updates that way, but who am I to talk I still use my samsung galaxy s3 with an added 7250 amah anker battery.