Linux Community Magazine

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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Layered Tech has been providing excellent uptime, rapid tech support resolutions, and outstanding client satisfaction since 2004. Layered Tech has the resources and the know-how to accommodate everyone from individual bloggers to large enterprises. If you want the flexibility and power that Linux hosting offers, contact Layered Tech today at 1-888-952-4888 or visit us online at