VPS servers and dedicated servers that have Linux installed are available from many web hosting providers as Linux is a popular option for those who are on a low budget and require the biggest bang for the buck from their dedicated hosting service. Linux server hosting is a good place to start if you are going to be using a VPS server or dedicated server for the first time since Linux servers can be fairly easy to manage. Linux servers have also been proven to be much more reliable and secure than Windows web hosting servers meaning that for a much lower price you will get a web hosting environment that will provide you with far less worry than a Windows server would.
What does the term ‘Linux server hosting’ refer to specifically?
Linux server hosting is a term that generally covers the two following forms of web hosting:
- Linux VPS server hosting – Linux VPS servers are the cheapest option for those who require low-cost Linux server hosting – you are provided with the same advantages of a Linux dedicated server to a good extent, just for a lower cost
- Linux dedicated server hosting – a Linux dedicated server will provide you with levels of security and reliability that aren’t achievable with any other forms of Linux web hosting – on top of this you will also be offered your own physical server meaning that you won’t have to share any of your resources with anyone else.
What are the advantages of using Linux server hosting?
Linux server hosting can provide businesses and individuals who require powerful web hosting services with a secure web hosting environment capable of effectively meeting their requirements within their budget. The main advantages of Linux server hosting include:
- Cost effective – Linux VPS servers and Linux dedicated servers are usually very cost effective since they can provide you with good resource assignments for a relatively low amount of money – the fact that Linux is an open source operating system means that it is free to use and can help you to save on certain costs, and most of the system applications that you are likely to be using daily such as PHP and MySQL Server are also open source
- Flexible hosting environment – Linux servers are much more flexible and easier to manage than Windows servers meaning that you can easily create a web hosting environment that will function precisely in the way that you want it to – the open source nature of Linux and many of the applications available for the platform means that you can edit the source code of a particular application or part of the operating system so that it runs exactly how you want it to meaning that you can tweak performance if you wish to
- Resource usage – Linux distributions are generally much more aware of the resources allocated to the server that they are installed on at the time meaning that they use them much more effectively – this is going to be of benefit to you if you have a low specification Linux VPS server or Linux dedicated server because it will mean that you have more resources free to use, but if you have a high specification Linux VPS server or dedicated server then the chances are that you are going to have plenty of spare resources anyway.
What are the disadvantages of Linux server hosting?
You are going to be paying a considerable amount of money for any VPS server or dedicated server regardless of the operating system that you are going to use meaning that it is important for you to be aware of the disadvantages of your chosen hosting platform. The main disadvantages of using Linux include:
- Management – a Linux server may prove to be hard to manage if you aren’t familiar with command line interfaces since for most the only way to manage a Linux server is going to be via SSH – if you feel that managing your Linux VPS server or Linux dedicated server is going to cause problems then you can always consider managed server hosting
- Compatibility issues – if you are planning on using a Linux server for the hosting of classic ASP or ASP.NET based web pages then you may wish to reconsider your decision since scripts and web pages created using either will only function correctly in Windows web hosting environments.
In conclusion, Linux server hosting can provide businesses and individuals with a low cost and highly effective form of web hosting. Linux servers are best used for the hosting of PHP and MySQL based websites since both applications function best on Linux servers; however, other applications available for Linux VPS servers and Linux dedicated servers include the popular cPanel control panel which will allow you to offer your own web hosting services.