Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Web Hosting : Windows Servers VS Linux Servers??

[Garrett D.]

This ones got me going around in circles. I do all my web building
and publishing w/ FrontPage 2002. I have been w/ 3 WebHosts
in the last 2 months. The problem I'm having is that Windows
Servers seem to be semi-new to the industry (please don't argue
that!) so I have been going with Web Hosts that offer Linux
servers. I was also led to believe that the Linux Server is a
more reliable, stable and quicker Server to use. I have been having
a problem publishing to the Linux Servers w/ my FP and
now that I have had similar problems w/ 3 different Hosts I'm
considering trying Windows Servers.

My Question:

What should I do? - Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I just want to be able to go w/ a host (multiple Domain w/ a Web
Host Manager), go into my FP, bring up a site, make changes,
hit "publish web" - and actually have it publish without any
problems (no missing pictures, no non-working reply forms, index
htm not copying to index.html etc...)
Does anyone have a solution?
Should I stay w/ the Linux Servers but publish w/ an FTP program
like cute FTP and just use Formmail or one of it's clones for forms?

Someone REAL EXPERIENCED please reply!!
Send replies to ietmm@accessbee.com - thanks.

Sincerely,

Garrett Dann

[razorack]

There are several well known issues with any Unix or Linux flavor and FP 2000 and FP 2002.

Linux and or Unix(FreeBSD my flavor of choice) are well built stable OS's, but do not talk well with MS products.

With MS you have the issue of security and exploits that most script kiddies love to exploit. It is a double edged sword.

We have had some good success with the Plesk control panels, FP 2002 and FreeBSD(unix). Try and find a host that offers that it should go well, if not stick with Win3k host, it is very stable and secure.

Razor--

[gate2vn]

I have Linux and Windows accounts but personally, I prefer Linux server with WHM/CPanel. You also can host websites by FP.

[Jay H]

Unless you will be using ASP / .NET, MS ACCESS, etc., I would recommend you use a Linux platform (Linux platforms are usually cheaper also).

[Garrett D.]

Why??

[Jay H]

Linux, imo, is a more stable operating system, more functionality for the hosting environment and better control panel options.

[Outofmymindy]

Originally posted by Garrett D.
Why??

Check the licensing fees on both operating systems. You will find that Windows costs LOTS of money. Most (if not all) flavors of *nix you can get for free.

[JTY]

I don't recommend Windows hosting to anyone unless they have something that needs it. E.g. MS SQL, ASP, etc.

[hostingisme]

Linux rules

[Huminie]

I prefer linux as well. Very stable.

[Hostspring]

Garrett,

As long as you don't need Microsoft DB resources, then I think you should find a Linux host who is certified by Microsoft as a FrontPage Web Presence Provider. Having Sun One ASP wouldn't hurt either...

bill

[Garrett D.]

Thank you all for your suggestions, I think I'll go with Linux
Servers and just learn how to work CuteFTP since I have it. I
think I'll also look for a Host that offers a "chat" support system,
I hate waiting a day (or more) to hear back on a critical issue!

Thanks Again, This Forum is excellent!

- Garrett Dann

[aplawson]

This kind of open-ended question has always struck me as odd. You can't ask which is better without a qualifier - you need to ask "which is better for your need".

If I was that interested in using an OS that was BEST suited for Frontpage, then I would suggest that Windows servers are better because they're written by the same group who wrote both 'applications' and the code just works better together as the MS programmers designed it to work best with their own OS. That may suck, but that's the M$ we have lived with for years.

UNIX 'accommodates' Frontpage (like ChiliSoft allows UNIX to 'accomodate' ASP) because it is a somewhat common HTML editor/language, but orphan processes (I may have that exact term off a little) created by Frontpage require far more memory in UNIX than Windows servers which, if gone awry, can bog a server down. This use to be such an issue with FreeBSD a few years back that we disabled Frontpage altogether just so the server would run at top speed (we had very high traffic on that server and running Frontpage extensions on it slowed it WAY down).

In general, I would agree UNIX is a better 'all-around' OS and is my OS of choice and I have my opinions why. While I won't say the reponses here are irresponsible, I will say that responders should be a bit clearer because the kinds of answers I've seen here are a tad misguiding as they assume one is just better than the other. That's simply not always the case.

[IHSL]

begin flying in face of popular opinion

I prefer windows hosting to *nix.

The general concensus seems to be theat windows doesn't have any major fully functional control panels available. To those i say visit http://www.psoft.net

Windows, when used in all it's glory ( MS SQL, Access, ASP, Coldfusion etc) gives an all round better feel to a hosting platform in my opinion, with a shed load more choice for the user.

There's really not that much that a stable *nix can do, that a stable win server can't. The same, in reverse is not the case.

With regards to Frontpage;
As someone commented on this forum earlier today, and very rightly.. "even windows doesn't like frontpage" and it's true. Frontpage seemingly has a mind of it's own at time's, and as everyone knows, mind's tend to wander