CentOS 7 EOL: What to Do After June 30, 2024

Soon it’ll be the end of June 2024, which means there’s only a few days left until Red Hat officially stops supporting CentOS 7. On June 30, the legendary OS will become a sitting duck in data centers around the world — just two weeks shy of its 10th birthday.

A decade is a long time in the software world. Ten years ago, news headlines were all about:

• The rise of cloud computing and software subscriptions
• Big data analytics (remember Hadoop?)
• The proliferation of smartphones and tablets in business
• The end of support for Windows XP

Plenty has changed in ten years, but many things have stayed the same for CentOS 7 users. They’re still running the OS for the same reasons they had in 2014: stability, compatibility, familiarity, legacy support for proprietary, mission-critical hardware and software — or, they bought long-term support that lasts through June 30, 2024.

If you’re one of those people still running CentOS 7 in 2024 and you don’t know what to do next, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered for up to three more years. Let’s talk.

Extending CentOS 7 support through 2027

Nobody plans on staying on the same OS for up to ten years, but it happens all the time. Whether you’re a multinational enterprise or an SMB, you probably have a hard technical dependency that counts on CentOS 7. Or, maybe you just never had the time to think about what you were doing after the CentOS EOL and you still aren’t sure. (It’s okay. You’re not alone!)

The thing is: it’s an entirely different problem moving off of an OS than choosing one. This EOL problem is forcing people to decide what to do with critical infrastructure after it’s been running successfully for years — and it’s not an easy decision to make. So, we’re here to make life easier for you.

We have a product called CIQ Bridge, which provides support through the end of 2027 for as many systems as you’ve got, whether it’s 12 servers or 2,500. Bridge provides all the important security updates you need to keep your business safe and secure. Even better, we’ll help you put a transition plan together to go from CentOS 7 to a modern equivalent: Rocky Linux.

Rocky Linux is providing the same value CentOS 7 promised to deliver all those years ago:

• Full compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
• No license tracking or licensing costs
• Unlimited deployments
• Safety, security, stability, and performance (including HPC)
• Supported and available in all major public clouds (read about our partnership with Google)

Fun fact: CentOS was co-founded by our CEO, Greg Kurtzer, who went on to become founder of Rocky Linux and CIQ. Greg has been waving the flag for free enterprise Linux for a couple decades, except now that flag says “Rocky Linux.” With CIQ Bridge, you’re not just getting extended support for CentOS 7 — you’re getting some of the best, most experienced CentOS support on the market.

How CIQ Bridge actually works

CIQ Bridge’s base offering supports the default 3.10 kernel version and mission-critical API/ABI compatible userspace packages included with CentOS 7. Bridge extends CentOS’s life by delivering high-severity security fixes via a private package repository called Mountain.

Key features of CIQ Bridge include:

• Kernel Support: Ongoing support for the default 3.10 kernel version.
• Userspace Packages: Includes mission-critical API/ABI compatible userspace packages.
• Security Updates: Provides fixes for vulnerabilities with CVSS scores of 7-10, with an industry standard format (CSAF) feed of resolved vulnerabilities distributed through a CIQ repository.
• Professional Services: Available for issues below CVSS 7 and for functionality fixes, proprietary driver support, and other custom needs. The cost and timeline for these additional services is evaluated individually based on the level of effort required.

There are some limitations you should know up front:

• No active development or backporting of new drivers or subsystems
• No non-security updates or Desktop Support
• Proprietary drivers will incur a professional services charge for troubleshooting
• Some complex fixes may require time and materials billing
• Some CVEs might not be mitigatable despite best efforts

CIQ Bridge is the strongest path forward for CentOS 7 users.

Why CIQ Bridge over the other options?

There are a few other options available out there for extending the life of your CentOS infrastructure, and sometimes we recommend going with them. If you’re a small business with just a few servers to support, CIQ Bridge may be overkill for your needs. Our product is really designed for larger and more complex infrastructure footprints.

You can also pay Red Hat for continued CentOS 7 support. They provide an additional two years of support (as opposed to our three years) and offer RHEL migration tools for a relatively easy transition. However, if you go that route, you’ll be paying Red Hat for licensing fees. With CIQ Bridge, we want you to continue enjoying enterprise Linux at no cost, which is why we provide a path to Rocky Linux.

As for other options, prices and offerings will vary. The CIQ team has deep, deep expertise in maintaining CentOS and RHEL. We are the founding sponsor of Rocky Linux and we proudly support the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF). We have much more skin in the game for the success of our customers and for Rocky Linux.

If you need CentOS 7 support, get CIQ Bridge

Most companies chose CentOS 7 as a free, bug-for-bug compatible RHEL distribution. Now that Red Hat is ending its support of the OS, they’re forcing customers to either pay up for RHEL licensing (not cheap) or find other options (really not cheap).

CIQ Bridge meets customers like you where you are, providing affordable long-term support for the OS you need. Plus, we help our customers build a bridge to the future with a forever-free RHEL-compatible enterprise Linux distribution.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out our CIQ Bridge website. If you’ve got questions, just send us an email at info@ciq.com.