Editing CentOS (section)

== History ==
CentOS originated as a build of '''CAOS Linux''', an [[RPM Package Manager|RPM]]-based [[Linux distribution]] started by Gregory Kurtzer in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7239/ |title=Caos NSA and Perceus: All-in-one Cluster Software Stack |last=Jeffrey B. Layton |date=5 February 2009 |work=[[Linux Magazine]] |access-date=7 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210040738/http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7239/ |archive-date=10 February 2015 |url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gmkurtzer.github.io/|title=Gregory M. Kurtzer|website=gmkurtzer.github.io}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://readyspace.com.hk/greg-kurtzer-founder-of-the-centos-project/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201071217/https://readyspace.com.hk/greg-kurtzer-founder-of-the-centos-project/ |archive-date=1 February 2021 |url-status=dead |title=Greg Kurtzer: Founder of the CentOS Project |website=ReadySpace |date=4 March 2019 |first=Alex |last=Yau}}</ref> Infiscale described its GravityOS as "[including] the small footprint of Caos",<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131006005709/http://infiscale.com/html/products.html Infiscale Product page in November 2013]</ref> indicating a certain level of influence from the discontinued distribution.

In June 2006, David Parsley, the primary developer of Tao Linux (another RHEL clone), announced the retirement of Tao Linux and its rolling into CentOS development. Tao users migrated to the CentOS release via {{mono|yum update}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.centos.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=135 |title=Retirement of TaoLinux |website=centos.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512195648/http://www.centos.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=135 |archive-date=12 May 2013 |access-date=21 May 2014}}</ref>

In July 2009, it was reported in an open letter on the CentOS Project web site that one of CentOS's founders, Lance Davis, had disappeared in 2008. Davis had ceased contribution to the project, but continued to hold the registration for the CentOS domain and PayPal account. In August 2009, the CentOS team reportedly made contact with Davis and obtained the centos.info and centos.org domains.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/centos-getting-their-st-together-is-a-top-priority/|title=CentOS: Getting Their S#!t Together is a Top Priority|first=Jason|last=Perlow|website=[[ZDNet]]}}</ref>

In July 2010, CentOS overtook [[Debian]] to become the most popular Linux distribution for web servers, with almost 30% of all Linux web servers using it.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2468596/network-software/the-most-popular-linux-for-web-servers-is----.html |title=The most popular Linux for Web servers is ... |website=Computerworld |date=26 July 2010 |format=blog}}</ref> Debian retook the lead in January 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://w3techs.com/blog/entry/debian_is_now_the_most_popular_linux_distribution_on_web_servers |title=Debian is now the most popular Linux distribution on web servers |website=w3techs.com}}</ref>

In January 2014, Red Hat announced that it would sponsor the CentOS Project, "helping to establish a platform well-suited to the needs of open source developers that integrate technologies in and around the operating system".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.redhat.com/about/news/press-archive/2014/1/red-hat-and-centos-join-forces |title=Red Hat and the CentOS Project Join Forces to Speed Open Source Innovation |date=7 January 2015 |publisher=[[Red Hat]] |access-date=8 January 2014 |quote=Red Hat is once again extending its leadership in open source innovation by helping to establish a platform well-suited to the needs of open source developers that integrate technologies in and around the operating system.}}</ref> As a result of these changes, ownership of CentOS trademarks was transferred to Red Hat,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://community.redhat.com/centos-faq/#_centos_trademark |title=Red Hat + CentOS - CentOS Trademark |publisher=[[Red Hat]] |access-date=9 January 2014}}</ref> which now employs most of the CentOS head developers; however, they work as part of Red Hat's Open Source and Standards team, which operates separately from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux team.<ref name="centos-joins-redhat" /> A new CentOS governing board was also established.<ref name="centos-govboard" />

On 8 December 2020, the CentOS Project announced that the distribution would be discontinued at the end of 2021 in order to focus on CentOS Stream.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CentOS Project ending support for CentOS 8 at the end of 2021.|url=https://blog.centos.org/2020/12/future-is-centos-stream/|url-status=live|website=blog.centos.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208140309/https://blog.centos.org/2020/12/future-is-centos-stream/ |archive-date=8 December 2020 }}</ref> The community's response to this announcement was overwhelmingly negative. Soon thereafter, Gregory Kurtzer (one of CentOS's founders) announced a new project to continue the original CentOS focus, which became known as [[Rocky Linux]].<ref name="rocky-linux" />  CloudLinux created [[AlmaLinux]] to provide a community-supported successor to CentOS Linux, aiming for binary-compatibility with the current version of RHEL.<ref>{{Cite web|last=AlmaLinux|date=January 26, 2021|title=Frequently asked questions|url=https://wiki.almalinux.org/FAQ.html|access-date=April 22, 2021}}</ref> A beta version of AlmaLinux was first released on February 1, 2021,<ref>{{Cite press release |date=February 1, 2021 |title=CloudLinux Releases AlmaLinux Beta |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005763/en/CloudLinux-Releases-AlmaLinux-Beta |access-date=April 22, 2021}}</ref> and the first stable release of AlmaLinux was published on March 30, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vaughan-Nichols, Steven J. |date=March 30, 2021 |title=CloudLinux Launches AlmaLinux, CentOS Linux clone |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/cloudlinux-launches-almalinux-centos-linux-clone/ |access-date=April 22, 2021 |publisher=[[ZDNet]]}}</ref> A beta version of Rocky Linux was released on April 30, 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-30|title=Rocky Linux 8.3 RC1 Available Now|url=https://rockylinux.org/news/rocky-linux-8-3-rc1-release/|access-date=2021-05-01|website=Rocky Linux|language=en}}</ref> and subsequently on June 21, 2021, the stable release of Rocky Linux 8.4 was released.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-06-21|title=Rocky Linux 8.4 Available Now|url=https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/rocky-linux-8-4-available-now/3015/1|access-date=2021-06-21|website=Rocky Linux|language=en}}</ref>