[alphager]

If you try out CentOs and it doesn't work, there's a chance you try Suse, Ubuntu, Arch etc.

If you try CentOS and it does work, there's a chance you grow large enough to be able to pay for Redhat.

CentOS was inevitable, might as well go for scenario 2 than 1.

[macksd]

Makes sense. But what changed in practice that made scenario 2 more likely?

[angelbar]

mostly... Official support