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Is it safe to run CentOS 6 in 2021?
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Is it safe to run CentOS 6 in 2021?

gappergapper Member
edited February 2021 in General

Im using it to host a WP site with nginx, PHP and MySQL. If I keep those four things updated, I'm safe or should I upgrade to CentOS 7?

Comments

  • CentOS 6 is eol. So it's not safe.

  • AlexBarakovAlexBarakov Patron Provider, Veteran

    As said above - it's EOL. If you must use it, probably something like https://elsportal.com/extended-lifecycle-support-for-centos-6/ is worth considering.

  • @gapper said:
    Im using it to host a WP site with nginx, PHP and MySQL. If I keep those four things updated, I'm safe or should I upgrade to CentOS 7?

    How do you keep those four things -- especially PHP -- updated on CentOS 6?

  • @gapper said:
    Im using it to host a WP site with nginx, PHP and MySQL. If I keep those four things updated, I'm safe or should I upgrade to CentOS 7?

    You should be running CentOS 8 (planning to convert to AlmaLinux or similar), RHEL 8 (can be ran on up-to 16 machines in production for free) https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/new-year-new-red-hat-enterprise-linux-programs-easier-ways-access-rhel#Bookmark 1 or Debian/Ubuntu. It's a horrible idea to deploy new CentOS 6/7 machines...

  • gappergapper Member
    edited February 2021

    @angstrom said:

    @gapper said:
    Im using it to host a WP site with nginx, PHP and MySQL. If I keep those four things updated, I'm safe or should I upgrade to CentOS 7?

    How do you keep those four things -- especially PHP -- updated on CentOS 6?

    By using remi repos for PHP 7.x on CentOS 6.

    @SWN_Michael said:

    @gapper said:
    Im using it to host a WP site with nginx, PHP and MySQL. If I keep those four things updated, I'm safe or should I upgrade to CentOS 7?

    You should be running CentOS 8 (planning to convert to AlmaLinux or similar), RHEL 8 (can be ran on up-to 16 machines in production for free) https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/new-year-new-red-hat-enterprise-linux-programs-easier-ways-access-rhel#Bookmark 1 or Debian/Ubuntu. It's a horrible idea to deploy new CentOS 6/7 machines...

    CentOS 7 is supported until 2024 so I believe it is not that bad.

  • No.

  • Centos 6 supports up 7.3 php and mariadb 10.3 for updated versions you must upgrade to Centos 7 or 8

  • @gapper said:

    @angstrom said:

    @gapper said:
    Im using it to host a WP site with nginx, PHP and MySQL. If I keep those four things updated, I'm safe or should I upgrade to CentOS 7?

    How do you keep those four things -- especially PHP -- updated on CentOS 6?

    By using remi repos for PHP 7.x on CentOS 6.

    Remi doesn't provide updates for CentOS 6 (RHEL 6) anymore:

    Enterprise Linux 6 has reached its "End Of Life" in November 2020.
    You MUST consider upgrading to a supported release.

    (See https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/6/ )

  • @angstrom said:

    @gapper said:
    Im using it to host a WP site with nginx, PHP and MySQL. If I keep those four things updated, I'm safe or should I upgrade to CentOS 7?

    How do you keep those four things -- especially PHP -- updated on CentOS 6?

    "yum update"

    -> No updates available

    All good! Nothing to worry about. :#

  • @gapper said:
    Im using it to host a WP site with nginx, PHP and MySQL. If I keep those four things updated, I'm safe or should I upgrade to CentOS 7?

    There's absolutely zero reason to require CentOS 6 for this. Backup and upgrade.

  • Yes. there's no better security than obscurity. look at windows 2000 and XP.

  • jon617jon617 Veteran
    edited February 2021

    Yes. Safe.

    -hacker

  • jon617jon617 Veteran
    edited February 2021

    I think if you keep the nginx and PHP and critical system software up-to-date with security patches, even if no longer available from the yum update command, and if you keep the login security tight, I'd think it would be pretty safe for a while.

    The bigger risk would be less insight and patches when security risks are discovered. How would you know if security patches are available? Take the recent sudo security exploit. CentOS 7 had a patch via yum update available in a day after the news. I'm sure a CentOS 6 patch is available, but may be harder to find.

    Fortunately nginx, php, mysql, and wordpress are widely used and keeping those up-to-date likely be fine.

    tl;dr, if upgrading is difficult and your site is not a target, should be fine to wait but keep an eye on security news. If you're running an online business, I'd definitely upgrade ASAP since you're a bigger target.

    Thanked by 1gapper
  • centos > backup > debian > restore

    Thanked by 1WebProject
  • @jon617 said: Fortunately nginx, php, mysql, and wordpress are widely used and keeping those up-to-date likely be fine.

    Something tells me that the OP isn't in a position to do this himself.

  • WebProjectWebProject Host Rep, Veteran

    @notarobo said:
    Yes. there's no better security than obscurity. look at windows 2000 and XP.

    so for that reason majority of banks using windows xp? :smile:

  • @WebProject said: so for that reason majority of banks using windows xp?

    Some ATMs and POS kiosks did and probably still do.

  • sidewindersidewinder Member
    edited February 2021

    switching a production server to a new machine/instance just so you can get the latest OS which won't work/be supported in X years seems pretty dumb to me.

    Maybe choose debian so you don't have these problems? I am running CentOS 6 on production machine and the thought of moving the whole thing is just LOL.

  • @sidewinder said:
    switching a production server to a new machine/instance just so you can get the latest OS which won't work/be supported in X years seems pretty dumb to me.

    Maybe choose debian so you don't have these problems? I am running CentOS 6 on production machine and the thought of moving the whole thing is just LOL.

    Well, there's "production" like manufacturing, and there's "production" like "in active use".

    If you mean the former and it's systems for testing widgets that are on private isolated networks, they can be old and unpatched as much as you want (and usually are). But if it's on a network that has active users and especially untrusted users, that shit needs active support.

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