TOP TEN WEB HOSTING

Linux versus Windows

Many people want to compare Linux hosting with Windows hosting.  Previously the difference between Linux and Windows hosting made a huge difference.  Deciding on which operating system to host your website made a difference in what you could do with the server and what you could accomplish with the website.  However, in today’s context of cross-system web hosting little separates these two operating systems.  Now, Linux hosting and Windows hosting are comparable.  Yet, those who want hosting on Linux would be well advised to understand the differences.

The first difference is how you access the server.  Generally, both offer FTP access to your files.  Yet, Linux is the only one that offers telnet or ssh access.  This is probably due to the target audience that each operating system has amassed.  While Windows is targeted to the mass public, Linux is more focused toward the features that are demanded by programmers and people who are confident of their computer knowledge.  In any case, while this may seem like a fundamental difference, there really is very little to separate FTP from telnet or ssh in the practical sense.  While FTP allows you to download the file to work locally, telnet and ssh allows you to modify the root file on the web server by using UNIX commands.

The second difference between Linux and Windows hosting is that they support different languages.  Linux tends to be associated with PHP, Perl, and CGI, while Windows is usually associated with ColdFusion and ASP.  The database languages are also usually different, with Windows favoring Access while Linux users use MySQL.  Windows also writes its pages in .htm format and Linux writes its web pages in .html.  Ultimately, these differences are minor, but can make significant difference if you are particular.  Trying to modify Access files while you are using a computer that only has Linux can often be a surprising exercise in futility for the beginning programmer.

You can compare Linux hosting in other areas.  In terms of security, people tend to argue against Windows, citing a whole host of vulnerabilities.  In a sense, they are right.  Linux tends to have the same amount of vulnerabilities.  Yet, they are patched and updated faster due to it being open source and free.  Windows vulnerabilities are usually patched every time a new service pack is released.  Security also depends largely on your network administrator.  With good administrators, your website is safe regardless of the OS you use.

The choice is yours to make.  Even if you prefer Windows or Linux, it is better to pick a web host based on the features and service it offers rather than on what operating system it is running on its web servers.  Especially since the difference between the two is negligible.  If your website requires a certain language because the programmers you work with prefer it, then it would be prudent to check for system compatibility before subscribing to a web host.  Yet, if you do not require such specific details, you should simply sit back and let the web host handle these complicated technical details and focus on creating the best website you can.  Instead of trying to compare Linux hosting with Windows, work on creating content as it is more important than the programming language or the OS of the web servers.