Linux Community Magazine

When you think of server hosting, web pages hosting, or just about anything to do with computers one name actually stands out Windows. It is everywhere but that does not mean that it is the only selection you have or that it is the fullest option for you. There are an amount of citizens who find profit in dedicated Linux hosting.

Linux hosting is no different when it comes to commitment or common than that of Windows server hosting. All you are trading with is a difference in software applications at the foundation. Linux can work within the Windows surroundings so you still have all the compatibility that you would have with a Windows based server.

There are as well an a couple of completing gains that accompanied applying Linux over using a purely Windows based system. A Linux system is ordinarily more firm. This is because it is not completely depending upon Windows.

Most of the computer viruses, spyware, and malware are projected for Windows based systems. This entails that by utilizing a Linux based system you can assist to protect your information from these types of invasions. Having it a more sound system than a simple Windows based server. The fact that Linux can work with Windows makes it a versatile option.

Other consideration is cost. Linux is free or what is famous as open source code. This entails that developers can change it because the code, which is utilized to create it, is made obtainable to the common. This cuts the overall price of the operating system and finally the toll to add service.

Dedicated Linux hosting has turned simpler to utilize as Linux through the years has got smoother. There was a point in time where Linux was one of the more multiplex operating systems to use. It has yet over the years been altered by developers and has turns progressively less complex to use. Dedicated hosting is the same disregarding what functioning system is utilized.

It implies the use of a host that is purely for your business and your informations. Holding a dedicated server had preferring paid hosing can admit your business with a wealth of gains and sis something that should definitely be seen peculiarly if you have arrived at the degree of having the need for the blank, memory and the bandwidth that is ordinarily part of a dedicated package.

Hosting is a superior consideration for any business and it is essential that the choice be given main circumstance. There are times when common hosting is attending be enough for both you and your business and some other times when you are going to find that it is at long last more low-grade as well as securer for your business to take advantage of the chances delivered in this kind of hosting. In most instances, you are not going begin off with paid hosting unless you already know you are going to require the sum of resources that it gets. Picking Out Linux opens you compatibility, stability, infinite growth potential while being able to think the security of your internet site. Paid Linux hosting puts up some of the best of everything when you are anticipating provide your clients with hassle free browsing and give you the peace of mind to know that you have a hosting server that fits your claims.

One of the best reliable companies is inmotion hosting which I mainly recommend. inmotion hosting passes the most low-priced deal and provides essential solvents for you if you would like to go for an greatest service, back and dependability.

There are many sites on the internet which provide hosting services. These sites are the ones that can be used to design and upload your own page on the internet. There are two possible ways in which you can use a server, either some dedicated server can be used or some server space can be rented. Both the options can be availed on rent and at cheap prices. There are two platforms on which a hosting site can work: one platform is Windows based and the other is based on Linux. The cost of a Windows based platform is considerably higher than that of a platform based on Linux. The reason for that is that Linux is an operating system and can be obtained for free from the internet. In other words, it is an operating system which is open sourced. Linux servers are known for their stability, they are generally unfaltering.

Linux vps or Linux virtual private server is one such server. A Linux vps automatically allocates the RAM, server space, bandwidth and various other features. Linux vps can also be credited with the fact that it provides more security. This is owing to the fact that in this system, we have our own independent server space allocation where other users are not present. This assures that other users cannot corrupt your website. There will be no abuse of your system and your website will work smoothly. Sometimes due to a lot of traffic on the web, a website takes a long time to upload. The Linux based platforms overcome these problems and give amazing uploading speeds with uptime as high as 99.9 %

One specific requirement of some websites may be video conferencing and other may be video facilities. Linux /features.shtml">red5 servers provide just the right platform for this particular requirement. It is being presently being used by many people for the effective running of their websites. Linux red5 servers have such properties that they can do video streaming at a very high rate. This makes the video and audio sites faster than normal. This type of Linux vps is just the right kind to be used for office work. Faster videos give better workability to your site. Red5 servers are very easy to obtain and are also not very pricy.

One Linux server that is currently in high demand is the jabber server. This server allows very safe exchange of data. The technology that is used by the jabber protocol is called XMPP which stands for extensive messaging and presence protocol. The jabber server also uses XML protocol which is the short for extensive markup language protocol. A jabber server is particularly useful if one wants to use interactive chat messengers like gtalk, yahoo messenger etc.

I am fairly new to Linux, specifically Ubuntu, and so far I am loving the "freedom". I decided that since I work on, and with Windows on a daily basis, it would be a great idea to experiment with something new and expand my technical skills. Unfortunately, I was quickly reminded of why I did not continue using a Linux-based operating system a couple of years ago when I first gave it a try. Although I will continue using Ubuntu for learning purposes, here are 5 reasons why Linux will continue to fail for the general, every day user.

1. Open Source - The very reason why I love Linux is the same reason why it never seems to get ahead. Keeping in mind that I have used Windows for over 15 years, I am simply used to certain applications looking and behaving a certain way, and I believe that most people are very opposed to change. Although there are many Linux alternatives to almost any Windows (or Mac) application, the actual problem is that they are not duplicates. A perfect example in my situation was my relying on Microsoft Money for so many years that every time I would attempt to use a different application I was very disappointed. Eventually, I found that KMyMoney is a very suitable alternative with every feature that I was seeking. Although it took me over a week to get used to the new software, it works well.

2. Technical Support - If there is one thing about Linux that there is plenty of, aside from the many distributions, it is technical support. The majority of it is even free. Unfortunately, it is either impossible to find an easy answer to a specific issue, or you have to spend 5 hours finding out that the solution was a simple command that needed to be typed into the terminal. Although the major distributions, such as Red Hat, provide paid support, which I am sure is excellent and will speed up the process of getting an issue resolved, I do not believe in paid Open Source. Technically, the definition of Open Source is not necessarily free because it allows anyone to customize and sell a product, however, the free part is what attracts most switchers to Linux and it can be very disappointing when there is no organized help readily available.

3. Software Installation - For the most part, in Windows (or Mac) you (1) purchase software from your preferred retailer or download it from a website, (2) run the installer, (3) it places a shortcut on your desktop and Start menu, (4) you double click the shortcut, and (5) your program is running. At least in a perfect world that's how it works. I am a technician so I know it is not always that straight forward, however, things get VERY confusing in Linux. Does my distribution use.rpm or.deb packages? Am I using Gnome, KDE, another of the available GUI (Graphical User Interface) or no GUI? Do I need to install via the terminal? Does the software require any dependencies? Will the installation method used be able to install the dependencies? Need I say more? These are just a few of the questions that I forced myself to learn the answers to in order to be a satisfied Linux user.

4. Internet Browsing - I do not feel that this one is as important, but worth mentioning. I am not one who enjoys testing new browsers, so the ones that I have spent a significant amount of time with are limited to Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Opera. My favorite was always Internet Explorer, until I started using Ubuntu. Being that browsers have never been that important to me I started using Firefox and I am now a very big fan due to its many extensions. However, my point is that if most people are like me, they do not have the choice of using Internet Explorer or Safari, and have to settle for whichever browser is available based on the Linux distribution and GUI that they have selected.

5. Your Family - As I previously mentioned I am computer technician. That being said, I love testing new technologies; in this case Ubuntu. This was the perfect real world test as to why Linux will have a difficult time accomplishing its goal. To this day, both my wife and young son (plus my sister) have not stopped complaining expressing their opinion about my Ubuntu installation(s). There is such a great learning curve for the average user that I had to install a VirtualBox with Windows in order to keep them from bad mouthing me. Luckily, we have multiple laptops in our household, including a couple with Windows, so at the end of the day everyone is happy. The Linux way of doing things is so different that it truly requires dedication in order for non-technical users to stick around.

In summary, I honestly understand and appreciate what the Linux community is attempting to accomplish. Unfortunately, I believe that things got a bit out of hand and now there are too many options. The Open Source(ness) has allowed too many hands in the cookie jar that are not allowing overall progress, because once an individual decides that they are interested in this "Linux thing" they immediately become confused and turned away due to the many complications.

Should there be some type of restriction or test regarding who can work on open source software? What do you think? Feel free to post your comments on this topic.

Linux hosting is scalable in a way that Windows-based hosting cannot be. Servers that run Linux instead of other OS's experience far less downtime. The Linux OS can integrate updates and patches on the fly, without having to reboot. Every tool one could need runs on Linux: PHP, WordPress, Java, Drupal, and other Linux-based content management systems like Slash and Bricolage.

Why Linux and Not Windows?

According to the list maintained by Top500, out of the top 500 supercomputers in the world, 410 of them, or 82%, run Linux. Windows servers are fine for those who can afford downtime due to rebooting because of server security updates, patches and similar hiccups. Netcraft maintains a list of hosting providers' operating systems, uptime, outages, whether the site failed to respond, and more. You can see how Linux hosting performs by viewing their list, which has a sampling frequency of only 15 minutes.

When changes must be made to a Linux server, such as adding, modifying, or deleting scripts, installing software packages or security updates, Linux does not need to power down and reboot. With a Linux machine you can compile code, run automatic cron jobs and scan a Windows host for viruses in one hand, while monitoring network activity, and encrypting a drive partition with the other hand.

Plenty of Options

Don't like the CMS you are currently using? With a Linux server, there are 137 free options. Drupal, PHP-Fusion, WordPress and Joomla! are the best known, but there is also MODx, Concrete5, JAKCMS, Redaxscript, EVO-CMS, the PHP-based CMS Made Simple, and 127 others to choose from. OpenCMS is backed by XML and Java, and Zope is driven by Python. Those mentioned here are actively maintained.

Licensing Costs

Why pay fees to operate a server when you don't have to? The Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Edition costs $3,000. For those who require employees to use remote desktop services, a Windows Server 2008 Remote Desktop Services External Connector License costs $8,000. Those two licenses alone total $11,000, which if operating with Linux, can save you that much money.

Upgrade costs are also money savers. When new Linux kernels are released, they are always free.

Tech Support

Problems happen that sometimes require a hosting company to call their operating system's tech support. When such a problem occurs with a Linux host, the host contacts developers like Red Hat Certified Engineers, not people who have only a Net+ certification.

Open source software packages are tweaked, upgraded, downgraded, and revised constantly. If a software package doesn't do what you want, a version that does exists. Thanks to the many repositories for Linux programs, different versions of a particular package are easy to locate.

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For many retail & hospitality operators, having a choice in operating systems is key

In a never ending battle to ease costs, many businesses today are looking at Linux as a server operating system. Issues such as cost and flexibility make Linux an attractive choice. However, just as many operators may be asking, "what exactly is Linux anyway?"

Linux is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds. Developed under the GNU General Public License, the source code for Linux is freely available to everyone. According to IBM, Linux is currently the fastest growing server operating system.

Once businesses have chosen their operating system, the next task is usually sourcing out a POS (point of sale) system. At the best of times, sourcing out a POS system for your business operation can be a confusing, time consuming and arduous task. Throw in the added obstacle of having to select point of sale software that can actually run on your operating system, and it's easy to see why business owners shy away from this difficult and often expensive task.

Research has shown that the number of POS terminals running Linux in North America has increased 80% since 2002. The reason why is simple; Linux, as an operating system, is more cost effective, flexible, and allows for greater freedom of choice in software than more mainstream operating systems. Linux is also very cost effective in regards to licensing, installation, administrative and support costs. Linux can offer all these features without sacrificing functionality. For retailers and restaurant/hospitality operators alike, cost and ease of use are king, and reasons such as these can make the difference between a business that succeeds and a business that fails.

POS software providers have been slow, however, to jump on the Linux bandwagon. Currently, there are few well-known or enterprise-wide POS software packages available for Linux. One company, however, has seen a niche in the market and has embraced it head on. Volant POS Systems, of Toronto, Canada and Hong Kong, offers a POS solution that has been developed entirely in Java. Java is cross platform compatible and operates in multiple environments - this gives the user freedom to choose Linux, Windows 2000/XP, or Windows and Linux. For many operators, having a choice is key.

Not only does Java provide cross platform compatibility, but like Linux, using Java POS solutions can be cost effective as well, as Java allows users the opportunity to save on additional Windows license fees, as an example. Java's open standard architecture allows the entire system to be compatible with third party industrial applications. Users are free to choose their operating environment and are not bound to costly proprietary restrictions.

Volant also offers integration with Windows-based back office applications. This flexibility is rare in the POS industry. For more information on Volant's Linux & Java POS solutions, visit their website at or in Asia, at , or simply email them at

From a retail perspective, Linux is definitely catching on. Burlington Coat Factory, for instance, has already rolled out Linux in all of their locations, both as a desktop and POS system. Other retailers/restauranteurs currently using Linux in their stores include: Papa John's, Garden Fresh, Mark's Work Wearhouse, Home Depot, and Gap, to name a few.

The push for Linux isn't just in North America, either. Asian governments are looking closely at Linux, hoping it will lead to the development of a domestic software industry that isn't hostage to foreign licenses. According to Linux Insider International, "Asia is emerging as a key battleground for the open-source movement. The Japan-China-Korea (JCK) partnership, announced last month in Osaka, is the latest in a string of initiatives to promote Linux. Two weeks earlier, Singapore hosted the second annual Asia Open Source Symposium, where 20 Asian countries discussed closer collaboration in standardization, localization and interoperability of Linux software."

So, when choosing an operating system and subsequent point of sale system, consider Linux. Discover for yourself why Linux is the fastest growing server operating system.