Linux Servers: Do You Understand the Difference?
First of all, some people are worried
that they will not be able to use Linux hosting because they run Windows on
their PCs. However, what operating system you run on your own PC is irrelevant
to which web hosting environment you can use, because the latter is run remotely
on a web server, where your website files will be uploaded.
Linux and Microsoft Windows are two different
operating systems. Windows is a well-known household name and does not require
much introduction. Linux is a new version of the Unix operating system. Both
these operating systems make excellent environments for web hosting. However,
there are some differences between them.
To help you decide whether Linux or Windows
hosting is better for you, we look at the following elements:
Cost
Linux is known as an "open source" operating
system. i.e. there is no licensing fees to pay. Therefore, compared to Windows,
Linux is very cheap. Starting with Windows XP, Microsoft has begun enforcing
software activation. This means that a single copy of Windows can only be
installed on one computer. With Linux, once you own a copy, you are free to
install it as many times as you wish on any number of computers.
Reliability
Linux is reputed to be very stable and reliable.
This means that a Linux server is much less likely to crash than a Windows
server. Subsequently, a Linux server will mean more 'up time' for your website.
Experience
Linux has many more years of experience than
Windows in hosting.
Speed
There is no real difference in speed between
Linux and Windows, but Linux is slightly faster in processing basic web pages.
Functionality
Windows support ASP (Active Server Pages), a
Microsoft programming/scripting language, which allows you to build dynamically
database-driven web pages by connecting to a Microsoft database such as SQL
Server or Access. Linux does not support ASP nor Microsoft databases, but uses
MySQL database instead.
If you use Microsoft Frontpage to create your
website, it doesn't mean that you have to choose Windows hosting. All Linux
accounts come free with Frontpage extensions, which allow you to upload your
Frontpage website to your web space on a Linux server.
Scripts
There are many CGI programs available on the
Internet. The majority of these are Perl scripts and have been developed on
Linux / Unix web servers. So they tend to install more smoothly and operate more
reliably on a Linux server. Moreover, many Perl scripts are downloadable from
the Internet free of charge.
To summarize, most users find that Linux hosting
is easier to use, more reliable, provides free, open source software and is much
cheaper than Windows hosting. So unless you particularly need to use Windows
specific features such as ASP and an Access database, it is probably a better
choice to choose Linux over Windows. For more information on Linux hosting,
visit
www.frontierpowerhosting.com Marketing Tips Provided to You by:
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