[CentOS-devel] [EXT] Re: https://blog.centos.org/2020/12/future-is-centos-stream/

Thu Dec 10 16:13:39 UTC 2020
Peter Georg <peter.georg at physik.uni-regensburg.de>


On 10/12/2020 16.50, Rich Bowen wrote:
> 
> 
> On 12/9/20 12:32 PM, David Hrbáč wrote:
>>     I don't use CentOS Stream, I use RHEL. I use RHEL to develop software
>>     for RHEL and compatible OS clones, including CentOS. If Stream 
>> retains
>>     binary compatibility, and specifically kernel ABI compatibility, then
>>     the users of the software packages we develop can continue to use 
>> them.
>>     If not, they can't. Simple as that. So please don't push rolling 
>> kernel
>>     updates to Stream that break the kernel ABI.
>>
>>
>> Rolling kernel updates are going to kill all the traditional HPC 
>> clusters. Almost 25% of the TOP 500 HPC clusters run CentOS. See 
>> https://www.top500.org/statistics/list/ 
>> <https://www.top500.org/statistics/list/>
> 
> I was under the impression that practically all of those run custom 
> kernels anyway, right?

Obviously in no way generally valid: In the last ~5 years I have been 
involved in / responsible for the administration of two systems that 
have been listed in the TOP500 (both lower half of TOP500, but top field 
of Green 500 at their respective time). Both systems are running CentOS 
7 with vanilla kernel. We only add external 3rd party kernel modules as 
required.

There have been plans/conversations/ideas about updating the newer 
system to CentOS Linux 8 soon. However, with the changed perspective of 
CentOS, this plan is now dead as well. Depending on how CentOS Stream 
works out (i.e., kernel ABI compatibility to current RHEL minor 
release), switching to CentOS Stream might be an option.