Just curious, which OS dch so you prefer and why? Im can't decide which software id like to run, Im looking for minimal startup costs, lots of plugins/features (my sql, sql, php, cgi, asp). I started messing with apache, will this run with helm?

Generally, most/all of the open source (free) software for running servers are developed for Linux. Of course, many of them have been ported to Windows, but they still run natively on Linux. I prefer Linux because most (*most*) of the software is openly licensed.

However, Helm seems to run only with Microsoft IIS, not Apache.

linux/unix of course :)

I think you answered it already:

looking for minimal startup costs

I have the impression from your post that you are not a linux guru. Low cost isnt always best if it comes at the expense of your expertise.

There's nothing to choose really, people always quote Windows as insecure / unreliable but it's not true if you know what you're doing.

My Windows 2000 servers really only ever get rebooted for upgrades / patches and are as reliable as any Linux / Unix box I've ever used. (This is with around 200 customer sites running - I cap them there so don't know, or want to know, what happens if you push things to the extreme).

Windows 2003 / IIS6 is also a fair improvement over IIS5 and is IMHO at least on par, if not now in front, of linux / apache in terms of speed and reliablility.

Cost IS a factor if you co-locate your own servers, if you lease the servers then you can have windows at the same cost of Linux most places ( like theplanet ).

Really I think it's just down to what you're comfortable with as both can do the job well.

How would I go about setting up a linux web server?? is there any documentation on the internet on how I do this? Which web server software/control panels would you recommend for ease of use but also maximum configuration (I would like people to be able to purchase domains and services from the site.) I was thinking of using RedHat 7.3 with cpanel and ModernBill. Can I use paypal to do my credit card processing?

Maybe you should pay someone to do this for you...

Paypal would be fine for 1-2 people/month if you are only doing yearly signups

Originally posted by HostMike
How would I go about setting up a linux web server?? is there any documentation on the internet on how I do this? Which web server software/control panels would you recommend for ease of use but also maximum configuration (I would like people to be able to purchase domains and services from the site.) I was thinking of using RedHat 7.3 with cpanel and ModernBill. Can I use paypal to do my credit card processing?

There are a lot of books regarding security on both Windows and Linux, but there is no one book that is "the guide" to securing a box. It takes knowledge and practice to secure a box completely no matter what operating system you use.

Personally, I'm leaning towards moving to FreeBSD, but still have more research to do :).

Why would paypal limit the amount of sales I can make? I wouldn't mind paying them for their services. If paypal is not an option what other services should I consider?

PayPal just isn't a very good solution. It's decent, but when large quantities get involved, it gets messy.


I would suggest WorldPay or Authorize.NET

Unless you need microsoft active server pages or microsoft sql server, or something that will only run on windows, why not for the the cheaper and more stable Linux?

I see why I can't use paypal........no batch processing. I guess I'll just hafta go with authorize.net or something else, no big deal (which credit processing company would you hosters recommend??) Since im also leaning towards hosting my site on linux what version would you recommend, as of right now Im downloading FreeBSD and RedHat 7.3. I know pretty much nothing about linux so clue me in.