operating server

[daniadalli]

can anyone say the best OS for dedicated server?

[Welford]

Linux Dedicated Servers are the Best. You don't have more choice when it comes to the best environment for your Dedicated servers.

[Chilton]

If you are choosing a Linux platform to host your website, CentOs is supposed to be the most stable OS for the server.
While on Windows platform,Windows 2003 standard is widely preferred on the server.

[Rupert]

Definitely, Linux dedicated servers are the best choice in terms of security, reliability and high-performance in compare to windows dedicated servers. Linux dedicated server hosting is much cheaper than a windows package as you can save licensing fees. CentOS is the best and recommended OS for your Linux dedicated server.

[Hexosphere]

There's a plethora of options out there, and what's suitable for one thing, isn't always suitable for another.

It really comes down to a case of what you want to achieve with it. Most come with some form of control panel, meaning that regardless of whether you go windows or linux, there's a Graphical User Interface that you can use to point and click.

If you are looking at a dedicated server - linux isn't for the faint at heart, and although there may be a GUI in the form of a control panel, inevitably, there will be times when you need to get your hands dirty and navigate through the system from the command line interface. This is one difference that with Windows, you get that familiar desktop GUI that you'll be used to using, meaning it's still pretty much point and click, as opposed to say for example vi /etc/hosts and then having to learn what to do in the vi editor, or other editor of your choice.

In terms of security, neither of them are more secure than the other, it's all down to how well you can work with the system, and put in place effective measures, for most, you'll already be used to doing this on a Windows based machine as that's probably what you use at home.

In terms of cost, this is the big deciding factor, in that Windows does cost more than it's Linux counterpart.

As for the best Linux OS, again, this would be down to what you want to use it for. For most, they offer CentOS (which is a derivitave of the Redhat code base), though there's also debian and a few others, in making a choice, it's best to research the different versions. Some even use the *BSD platform, which is generally seen as very robust.

[IanSmithISA]

Good morning,

Originally Posted by Hexosphere

In terms of cost, this is the big deciding factor, in that Windows does cost more than it's Linux counterpart.

I would like to suggest that for all practical purposes all web hosting is free whether it is on Windows or Linux.

If you have a requirement for a basic host, the cheapest Windows package here is £3.12 per month, now that is slightly more than a pint of beer, but it is such a small amount that it is effectively free.

I have a Hyper V-VPS and the monthly fee can not be argued as being free in the same way as in the above paragraph. However when you look at the cost of developing and running the site and the revenue that it should be generating, the hosting cost is such a small fraction that it is again effectively free.

I developed my own site, as it is an ASP.Net site I would expect to pay between £300-£400 per day if I went to a third party to make changes, this equates to between 6 months and a year's hosting fees for one days work.

Even if you are a mega online retailer the same argument applies as you will developer, customer support, technical support, business admin and physical buildings costs.

Clearly you can make the argument false by hosting a site with one visitor a day on a dedicated server.

Bye

Ian