Unix, Linux, Windows platforms Comparison

Another choice you should make is the operating system of your webserver. There are two general options: Windows and UNIX (Linux).

Traditionally, various versions of UNIX are the most widely used operating systems on the internet servers. The first networks (and the network architecture that was later known as internet) were built using UNIX machines. Even nowadays, when Microsoft Windows won the battle for desktop computers, UNIX native web server software Apache is still the most popular web server software over internet and the UNIX based operating systems such as various Linux and FreeBSD derivatives are the most popular OS's on web server machines.   The background of this popularity is pretty clear. First of all, as I said before, it's tradition. In the second, a lot of modern web building technologies such as Perl, PHP, Python, MySQL are native to UNIX systems. In most cases these technologies and software products are buit-in into Linux or FreeBSD distribution packages. And the third, many IT professionals, especially those who are working in the web hosting and networking areas, are familiar in that technologies and UNIX-based operating systems management.

The background of this popularity is pretty clear. First of all, as I said before, it's tradition. In the second, a lot of modern web building technologies such as Perl, PHP, Python, MySQL are native to UNIX systems. In most cases these technologies and software products are buit-in into Linux or FreeBSD distribution packages. And the third, many IT professionals, especially those who are working in the web hosting and networking areas, are familiar in that technologies and UNIX-based operating systems management.

If you are using a Windows machine at home you could decide that the Windows server will be easier to work with. This is not actually right. First of all most of the time you haven't to deal with operating system itself - almost any of the website's options could be set up within a user friendly graphical interface (so called control panel) that will be provided to you. So don't be afraid of Linux. Even if you haven't seen it at all it is as simple to set up a website on a Linux machine as on a Windows one.

The real reason to choose whether Windows or Linux is the type of the website you want to run - static or dynamic. If you want to host static content like text in HTML or PDF files and images (or any other static files such as ZIP archives or PowerPoint presentations) there is no any difference between these operating systems. Any of them will suite you well. The Windows hosting will fit your needs better if you are using Microsoft FrontPage software to build your website.

The Linux solutions are better for heavy loaded websites because of networking nature of this operating system. Also believed that the Linux servers are more stable and more secure. Actually both Windows and Linux are good enough being properly administered by skilled personnel.

If you want to encourage your visitors to make some activities on your website like posting comments and user reviews, voting for you content or answering the polls, putting products into shopping cart etc. or if you want to build your website using some kind of content management system (CMS) for easier content uploading and editing - in the other words, if you will provide dynamic content - you will need to install the proper software. And that's the deal. Todays web software including CMS's, blogging programs, shopping carts etc. are written in one of the special programming language. It could be PHP, Perl or ASP. To run the software of your choice on your webserver it should support that language. When you have choose the software to build your site on look at the System Requirements section of its description. If it says something like PHP (or Perl) and MySQL you should go for Linux hosting. And if it says ASP and/or MSSQL - go for Windows one.

Perhaps you have noticed already that the Windows hosting plans are more expensive than the comparable Linux ones. Why is that? Linux operating system is distributed under open-source license. It means that you can get its source code anytime you want but the most important - that its absolutely free. All Linux open-source software could be used free of charge. The Windows on the other hand is not. Windows itself and all the server software are priced pretty high. So it's a good idea to choose Linux hosting solution anytime unless you need to run Windows (or ASP/FrontPage) software on your server.