http://www.redhat.com/rhel/compare/

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Server Version comparison chart

  Version 3 Version 4 Version 5
  AS ES AS ES Advanced Platform base server
Server Architecture support
x86, AMD64, Intel64, Itanium2 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
IBM POWER Yes No Yes No Yes Yes
*Note: For IBM System z and S/390 information please refer to the mainframe page
Server Support limits as defined by Red Hat Enterprise Linux Product Subscription
Maximum physical CPUs/sockets [1] Unlimited 2 Unlimited 2 Unlimited 2
Maximum memory Unlimited 8GB Unlimited 16GB Unlimited Unlimited
Maximum virtualized guests/instances N/A N/A N/A N/A Unlimited 4
Storage virtualization (with Red Hat GFS and Cluster Suite) N/A N/A N/A N/A Yes No
Included Red Hat Network modules Update Module Update Module Update Module Update Module Update Module Update Module

Desktop Version comparison chart


  Version 3 Version 4 Version 5
  WS Desktop WS Desktop Desktop Desktop
with Workstation option		 Desktop
with Multi OS option
Desktop Architecture support
X86, AMD64, Intel64 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Itanium2 Yes No Yes No No No No
Desktop Support limits as defined by Red Hat Enterprise Linux Product Subscription
Maximum physical CPUs/sockets [1] 2 1 2 1 1 2 1
Maximum memory Unlimited 4GB Unlimited 4GB 4GB Unlimited 4GB
Maximum virtualized guests/instances N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 4
Storage virtualization (with Red Hat GFS and Cluster Suite) N/A N/A N/A N/A No No No
Included Red Hat Network modules Update Module Update Module Update Module Update Module Update, Management, & Provisioning modules

Technology capabilities and limits (certified[/theoretical]) [3]


  Version 3 Version 4 Version 5
Maximum logical CPUs [4]
x86 16 32 32
Itanium2 8 256/512 256/1024
AMD64/Intel64 8 64/64 64/255
Power 8 64/128 128/128
System z 8 8 8/64
Maximum memory
X86 64GB [5] 64GB [5] 16GB [6]
Itanium2 128GB 2TB 2TB
AMD64/Intel64 128GB 256GB/1TB 256GB/1TB
Power 64GB 128GB/1TB 512GB/1TB
System z 64GB/1.5TB 64GB/1.5TB 64GB/1.5TB

Maximum filesize (Ext3) 2TB 2TB 2TB
Maximum filesystem size (Ext3) 2TB 8TB 8TB/16TB (16TB in 5.1)
Maximum filesize (GFS) 2TB 16TB/8EB 16TB/8EB [7]
Maximum filesystem size (GFS) 2TB 16TB/8EB 16TB/8EB [7]
Maximum x86 per-process virtual address space Approx 4GB Approx 4GB Approx 3GB [6]

Maximum number of virtual CPUS in Guest (x86) -- -- 32 [8]
Maximum memory in paravirtualized guest (x86) -- -- 16GB
Maximum memory in fully virtualized guest (x86) -- -- 16GB
Maximum number of virtual CPUS in Guest (x86_64) -- -- 32 [8]
Maximum memory in paravirtualized guest (x86_64) -- -- 80GB/unlimited
Maximum memory in fully virtualized guest (x86_64) -- -- 80GB/unlimited
Required minimums
X86 256MB 256MB 512MB
AMD64/Intel64 256MB 256MB 512MB
Itanium2 512MB 512MB 512MB
Power 512MB 512MB 1GB minimum/
2GB recommended
Minimum diskspace 800MB 800MB 1GB
Kernel and OS features
Kernel foundation Linux 2.4.21 Linux 2.6.9 Linux 2.6.18
Compiler/toolchain GCC 3.2 GCC 3.4 GCC 4.1
Languages supported 10 15 19
NIAP/CC certified Yes - 3+ Yes - 4+ Yes - 4+
Compatibility libraries V2.1 V2.1 and V3 V3 and V4
Common Operating Environment (COE) compliant Yes Yes N/A
LSB compliant Yes - 1.3 Yes -3 Yes -3.1
GB18030 No Yes Yes
Client environment
Desktop GUI Gnome 2.2 Gnome 2.8 Gnome 2.16
Graphics XFree86 X.org X.org 7.1.1
OpenOffice V1.1 V1.1.2 V2.0.4
Ximian Evolution V1.4 V2.0 V2.8.0
Default browser Mozilla Firefox Firefox 1.5