Linux versus Windows

SenseiSteve

SenseiSteve

HD Moderator
Staff member
I wrote this article a while back to help prospects who were confused which OS to select and why? Looking for input to bring this current. Your thoughts?

Are you confused when presented with which operating system to choose – when selecting a web hosting provider’s hosting packages? You’re not alone. And no, it doesn’t matter what operating system you have on your desktop or work station – they don’t have to match your hosting platform. You can be using Windows Vista on your desktop and Linux on your web server. So what are the key guidelines to select one versus the other?

On a shared web hosting platform – both operating systems are normally priced the same. If you’re leasing a dedicated server though, Linux is open source (free) and Windows is proprietary to Microsoft applications that require license fees. If you need services like Active Server Pages (ASP), MSSQL, MS Access, Visual Basic or remote desktop, these applications are Windows specific.

Are Linux servers more secure – I see this brought up quite often in comparisons and the answers are all over the board. Very simply, the answer is NO. Both operating systems can be locked down tight. Both support a wide range of software applications, languages and databases.

Control panels do vary by operating system platforms – with cPanel frequently offered for Linux versus Plesk for Windows. Of the two, cPanel is more popular, but both are comprehensive.

There are different flavors of each operating system – with Linux; CentOS, Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu and others, and with Windows; 2008 Standard, Express, Enterprise, Web Edition and more.

My recommendation – is to match your specific requirements to the Operating System that best fits. If in doubt, call your prospective providers and discuss your concerns.
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If someone still support ChiliASP, then it is really surprising. There are many reviews on the Internet that said "stay away from ChiliASP", as it is not working properly.
 
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paullopez said:
If someone still support ChiliASP, then it is really surprising. There are many reviews on the Internet that said "stay away from ChiliASP", as it is not working properly.
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The problem is that ChiliASP is not supported anymore, and should there be a problem, you're basically up the creek without a paddle.
 
I agree, a consumer/person trying to choose between linux and windows should take the time and figure out if it will run better on linux or windows. They should look into the future and decide where they want to website to be at. Will it evolve better on linux or on windows? Also what is there technical background? Are they familiar with linux or are they more familiar with windows. Im not talking about regular everyday computer usage. If they have never had a website i would recommend linux because i believe linux is a lot less complicated then windows.
 
To simply choose between linux and windows I simply ask myself: Do I absolutely need windows to run this application? If the answer is yes, I go for windows, if not I will always choose Linux
 
It all depends what you need to run. If you need ASP then use windows. For everything else you should use Linux because it is more secure and faster.
 
Windows is a unstable platform IMO, it is only good to be used for applications that cannot be used on linux, such as ASP. cPanel now supports windows server based systems, could be a new era of windows based systems?
 
cPanel now supports windows server based systems, could be a new era of windows based systems?
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cPanel wouldn't make an unstable Windows OS stable. Luckily Windows has very good server variants. The cost is just not worth it for everybody.
 
Hi,

If you intend to run software packages such as PHP, Perl and MySQL on your server, Linux would make the best option, as it functions seamlessly with its open-source brethren. On the other hand, Windows platform generally utilizes ASP (Active Server Pages) and the SQL Server database system.
 
There are plenty of 100% Windows shops out there. Paying their licensing fees are just part of the deal. By far, the most popular server OS is Linux, but if you don't offer Windows, you are losing potential clients.
 
Linux is nice, you have like a market where you can download all kinds of stuff like games, browsers, etc. But i think i prefer windows.
 
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