Updating CentOS 7.9 Repositories After End-of-Life (+ Remi Repo Integration)

CentOS 7 reached its CentOS 7 reached its End-of-Life (EOL) on June 30, 2024.
After this date, CentOS no longer provides official updates, patches, or support.
However, you can still maintain your system’s security and receive community-based updates using Vault and Remi repositories.

Table of Contents

1. Updating CentOS 7.9 system After EOL
    • Step 1: Backup the Current Repository File
    • Step 2: Edit the Repository File
    • Step 3: Clean YUM Cache and Rebuild and Update
2. Adding the Remi Repository (for PHP and modern packages)
    • Step 4: Install EPEL and YUM Utils
    • Step 5: Enable and Configure Remi Repository
   

Step 1 – Backup the Current Repository File

Before making any changes, create a backup of the existing CentOS repository configuration:

cp -v /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Base.repo{,-backup}

Note: the filename may differ on your system, adjust as needed.

Step 2 – Edit the Repository File

Open the file with a text editor such as nano:

sudo nano /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Base.repo

Replace its contents with:

[base]

name=CentOS-$releasever - Base

baseurl=https://vault.centos.org/7.9.2009/os/$basearch/

gpgcheck=1

gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-7

[updates]

name=CentOS-$releasever - Updates

baseurl=https://vault.centos.org/7.9.2009/updates/$basearch/

gpgcheck=1

gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-7

[extras]

name=CentOS-$releasever - Extras

baseurl=https://vault.centos.org/7.9.2009/extras/$basearch/

gpgcheck=1

gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-7

[centosplus]

name=CentOS-$releasever - Plus

baseurl=https://vault.centos.org/7.9.2009/centosplus/$basearch/

gpgcheck=1

enabled=0

gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-7

Save with Ctrl + O, then Enter, and exit with Ctrl + X.

Step 3 – Clean YUM Cache and Rebuild

yum clean all && yum makecache && yum update -y

This ensures your CentOS 7.9 system uses the Vault repositories for updates.

🧠 Step 4 – Install EPEL and YUM Utils (Before Adding Remi)

To use the Remi Repository — which provides newer versions of PHP (7.4 – 8.3) and other modern packages — you must first install EPEL and yum-utils:

yum install epel-release yum-utils -y

Then enable EPEL:

yum-config-manager --enable epel

🧩 Step 5 – Enable and Configure Remi Repository

Add the official Remi repository maintained at rpms.remirepo.net:

rpm -Uvh https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-7.rpm

You can now list and enable the desired repositories:

yum repolist all | grep remi

For example, to enable PHP 8.1 packages from Remi:

yum-config-manager --enable remi-php81
yum update -y

If you need PHP 8.2 or 8.3, replace php81 with php82 or php83 accordingly.

Optional: Verify Installed Repositories

yum repolist enabled

You should now see both vault.centos.org and remi repositories active.

⚠️ Professional Assessment – Caveats & Considerations

The fact that CentOS 7.9 has reached End-of-Life (EOL) demands serious attention. While this guide provides an advanced and practical workaround, it should not be viewed as a long-term production strategy.
For future stability, consider migrating to CentOS Stream 9, AlmaLinux 9, Rocky Linux 9, or Ubuntu 25.10, all of which provide extended lifecycle support and continuous security maintenance.

Using both the CentOS Vault and the Remi repository requires careful validation. Some packages may no longer be actively maintained or could present dependency incompatibilities with existing systems.
For instance, enabling Remi to upgrade PHP can introduce dependency changes that might affect older control panels or legacy web stacks.

The guide also assumes a stable environment but does not explicitly emphasize comprehensive backup and rollback procedures, these should be mandatory before implementing any repository changes.

Finally, it’s important to note that not all packages in the Vault receive CVE-level patching or full security coverage. While Vault repositories preserve historical package versions, they do not provide active vulnerability management.

✅ Conclusion

By combining the CentOS Vault archives with the Remi repository, you can:

• Keep CentOS 7.9 secure and up-to-date even after EOL
• Access modern PHP, Redis, MariaDB, and NGINX packages
• Extend your system’s lifecycle without migrating to AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux immediately

This hybrid configuration is highly recommended for developers maintaining legacy environments, especially cPanel / DirectAdmin servers that still rely on CentOS 7 and need continued functionality with updated packages.