2.8 CentOS - The Free Alternative

For users unable to afford a Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription, another option is provided in the form of the CentOS operating system. The CentOS project, originally a community driven effort but now a collaboration with Red Hat, takes the Red Hat Enterprise Linux source code, removes the Red Hat branding and subscription requirements, compiles it and provides the distribution for download. Of course, while CentOS provides an operating system that is identical to RHEL in many ways, it does not include access to Red Hat technical support.