Convert from CentOS Linux 7 to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 with Convert2RHEL

With the retirement of CentOS Linux upon us, migrating from one distribution to another doesn’t need to be complicated or intimidating. In this tech tip I introduce the Convert2RHEL utility and demonstrate converting a CentOS Linux 7 system to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 in place. Download the GPG keys, enable the repo, install the utility, answer a couple of prompts, and the tool swaps your CentOS packages for Red Hat-signed ones.

A few things worth carrying away from this one:

• The conversion and the result are both fully supported. Once you convert, you can open a support ticket or talk to consulting. You’re not out on your own.
• A rip-and-replace costs you twice. Reinstalling the OS, re-adding users, reinstalling tools, and migrating workloads burns cycles, and in the cloud you pay for double the infrastructure during the migration. Converting avoids all of that.
• There’s a budget-friendly on-ramp. The RHEL 7 for third-party Linux migrations subscription is a low-cost way for CentOS 7 users to move over, with extra years of support and access to the Leap in-place upgrade to RHEL 8 when you’re ready.

Our consultants have done tens of thousands of these conversions, so whether you have a handful of systems or tens of thousands, you have options.