Anolis OS centos alibaba cloud linux？

These three operating systems are closely related, but they have distinct differences in their origins, development history, and current status. Here’s a clear breakdown:

1. Alibaba Cloud Linux

• Origin: Developed by Alibaba Cloud based on CentOS.
• Current Status:
  • Originally forked from CentOS 7.
  • Now evolved into an independent enterprise-grade OS optimized for cloud environments (especially Alibaba Cloud).
  • Supports both CentOS 7-based and newer versions like Alibaba Cloud Linux 3 (based on Anolis OS or RHEL/CentOS Stream lineage).
• Key Features:
  • Enhanced security, performance tuning for cloud workloads, long-term support (LTS), and compatibility with CentOS/RHEL ecosystems.
  • Free to use on Alibaba Cloud; available as a public image.

2. Anolis OS (龙蜥操作系统)

• Origin: Open-source project initiated by Alibaba Group, Tencent, Huawei, and other tech companies under the OpenAnolis community.
• Base: Initially based on CentOS 7, now aligned with RHEL/CentOS Stream upstream.
• Purpose: A community-driven, enterprise-ready Linux distribution designed to be a sustainable alternative to CentOS after CentOS 8’s end-of-life.
• Relationship to Alibaba Cloud Linux:
  • Alibaba Cloud Linux 3 is built on top of Anolis OS.
  • Anolis OS serves as the foundational open-source project; Alibaba Cloud Linux is its commercial/cloud-optimized derivative.

3. CentOS

• Historical Context:
  • CentOS was a free, community-supported rebuild of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
  • CentOS 7: Still widely used, but reached EOL in June 2024.
  • CentOS 8: Ended life in December 2021.
  • CentOS Stream: Replaced traditional CentOS as a rolling-release preview of RHEL (not a stable distro).
• Current Status:
  • Traditional CentOS (stable releases) is effectively discontinued.
  • Users are migrating to alternatives like AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Anolis OS, or Alibaba Cloud Linux.

✅ Summary of Relationships:

CentOS (legacy) → Forked into → Alibaba Cloud Linux & Anolis OS
                              │
                              ├─→ Alibaba Cloud Linux 1/2 (CentOS 7-based)
                              └─→ Alibaba Cloud Linux 3 (Based on Anolis OS / RHEL ecosystem)

Anolis OS = Open-source foundation (community-driven, multi-vendor support)
Alibaba Cloud Linux = Commercial/cloud-optimized derivative of Anolis OS (by Alibaba)

📌 Which Should You Use?

• For Alibaba Cloud users: Alibaba Cloud Linux (especially v3) is recommended for better integration, support, and optimization.
• For general-purpose, vendor-neutral needs: Consider Anolis OS (if you want a CentOS-compatible, community-supported option) or AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux.
• Avoid: Traditional CentOS (EOL), unless you’re maintaining legacy systems.

Let me know if you need migration advice or installation guidance!