Looking for a good server distro

[burgers]

I'd go with FreeBSD as the best server option. It's well documented, stable, secure and ports is easy to use for package managment. FreeBSD also has jails. For those that don't know about jails, they are secure sandbox areas for some/all of your daemons/services to run without allowing a hacker to gain root access to the box. The hacker could get root to the jail by compromisng a process with an exploit but they can not cause harm to base install once they have gained access to the jail because you can not get access outside of the jail. Only problem with jails is the time it takes to set each one up as its like a new machine.

For linux, i dont know. Package management has always been a bit "rough". Apt-get can you get into some dependency troubles and rpm files are just yucky for dependency based hell as well. I guess i'd have to go with either Gentoo or Slackware for a server install based on linux..

thats my 2 cents anyways..

--pete.

[Ultra Frosty]

For Linux, Debian or Slackware are probably your best choices for all around features and stablilty.

For UNIX/BSD I have to say OpenDarwin. It has FreeBSD 4.4 and Mach 3.0 blended together using the advanced achitectural design of the Mach kernel with FreeBSD to fill in all the empty space that Mach never acomplished. Fastest OS I have ever used.

Linux is perfect for a webserver with Apache/PHP/MySQL, BSD would be put to better use if your gonna be using all of your server resources on a single task like a really big MySQL server.

[uniacid]

I don't see a problem with using fedora on your server, I think its pretty good, but you can always go with gentoo also but you must know how to set it up properly

[Mathiasdm]

Go with Debian, FreeBSD or Gentoo ;-)

[hagjohn]

I think I'm going to use whiteboxlinux (4, when it's released)... as it's RH Enterprise... should be a bit better than a normal linux distro.

[Tarzan2k]

I'm using Gentoo on my two servers and it works extremely well! With grsec kernel and several security patches it can be even safer.

[mr_demilord]

Debian

[Miuku.]

Of course this will steer into commercial satan worshipping and I'll be crucified on a cross but:

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server - if you're a corporate user like me.

Or alternative you can use the normal SuSE boxed product or FTP. With a little customization you can easily roll out servers that are both easy to administer and powerful enough to get the job done.

[deneb829]

Pretty much any of the Unix/Linux distros are good - depending on your needs. I think for a straight forward mail/apache with mods server, BSD is the way to go.

[soothsayer]

Isn't CentOS the same as whitebox?

[markwolfe Veteran]

Isn't CentOS the same as whitebox?

586030963[/snapback]

Yes, as much as they are both Red Hat Linux clones (minus the copyrighted/trademarked logos and wording such as "Red Hat").

[Sipherx]

I use debian. but slackware is nice

[saerdna]

debian with grsecurity and pax.

[Yvo]

At my work we use FreeBSD on 90% of our boxes. The other 10% are running old versions of RH (7.0 & 8.0)or Debian 3.1

Thus in my order:

1. Debian

2. Fedora (Server only install, no GUI)

3. Slackware

My biggest pet peeve is that Linux distros need to follow a game plan and not try to be everything (unfortunately my #2 is trying to do that, however the community backing Fedora is huge). Thus trying to have Ubuntu, trying to run Apache, MySQL or PHP is just a joke.

[Folic]

Alright i just got a new laptop and i want to turn my desktop into my networks file server. I want it to be accessed by ftp only, i wanna be able to configure it locally, so i want there to be a GUI. So i was wondering what distro would you suggest? I know a good amount about linux so i'm not a complete linux noob.

[cork1958]

Heck, you made it easy on yourself if you already know a good deal about Linux. I've been having all the fun of the learning curve for a few months now. Am really liking this Ubuntu. Click the banner in my sig.

[Folic]

I'm looking for more of a server linux, not like everyday use desktop.

[kingpunk]

well buddy,

personally, and im admiting it once, and only once. im biased. i only like the best, and in linux, its Gentoo

and that is it.

however, if you're wanting a server distro, that is blazing fast, super secure, and is painless to get going (considering you're an experienced UNIX user, or are a very fast learner).. you want OpenBSD my friend.

OpenBSD, or Gentoo GNU/Linux.

(if you're wanting the speed/functionability of a *BSD, you could easily make the exception of FreeBSD, its great too, espically now that they've ported PF and a few other things over to it from OpenBSD.)

but thats just my two cents. props gee!

-KingPunk

[markwolfe Veteran]

We have a pinned thread, just on this very topic, with people stating what distro they recommend for servers.

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=269495

[Folic]

I was thinking FreeBSD, or Debian.

[thagame]

bsd or gentoo

[Folic]

I've heard a lot of good things about gentoo, but i hear it's really hard to install, and for advanced linux users.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

I'm looking for more of a server linux, not like everyday use desktop.

In that case, I would recommend Debian. Ubuntu is based on Debian but, as you say, it is more of a desktop implementation.

Debian is a completely volunteer project so there are no worries about ownership. licensing or any associated costs (now or in the future). It is the free-est of the free distros.

It also is very server oriented (so much so that it ticks off a lot of desktop users). Their stable repository is VERY well tested and packages are often a year or so old because they are known to work.

Even their TESTING repository is more tested and stable than most other distros. They also have an UNSTABLE repository for desktop users that are looking for more cutting edge releases.

As always, the real advantage to Debian is the simplicity of apt-get for maintaining the system and the multitude of available packages in the various repositories.

If you don't want Debian then my other choice would be White Hat Linux. It is essentially a pre-compiled rip of RedHat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) with all of RedHat's proprietary tidbits removed. For all intensive purposes, however, it is a free version of RHEL. Due to its simularity to RHEL, it is a good tool to learn to migrate into the corporate world.

For my own business needs, however, I would use Debian. I use TESTING for servers and UNSTABLE for home.

[thagame]

I've heard a lot of good things about gentoo, but i hear it's really hard to install, and for advanced linux users.

no and no. its for people that can read. im not trying to be rude but the docs and forums are so helpful in the install process the hardest thing about gentoo is not knowing how to read the manual.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

We have a pinned thread, just on this very topic, with people stating what distro they recommend for servers.

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=269495

Yeah, I'll move it once this thread has had its 15 minutes.

no and no. its for people that can read. im not trying to be rude but the docs and forums are so helpful in the install process the hardest thing about gentoo is not knowing how to read the manual.

Well, Gentoo is great for people who don't value their own time. Based on the reverse of that premise, however, it isn't very practical for business.