Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Linux – a term widely used throughout the technical world and generally accepted as a very good operating system. When we call Linux an operating system, we mean that it is an alternative to other operating systems like windows, which is undoubtedly the most popular among the general masses, Solaris, Mac OS and others. And by operating system, it is implied that Linux is an interface between the computer hardware and the programs that run on the computer. So what then is a Linux server? It is nothing but a high powered variant of the open source operating system that we call Linux. The server is designed in such a way that it can handle the more complex and heavy needs of the business. Such needs mainly arise in applications like database management, System administration, networks administration and web services. Now why the Linux version of the server should be used? Or why shouldn’t we use any other version. The answer is in the advantages which the Linux server provides. The security is the major benefit. Stability and flexibility add to the value. Now, there are many server distribution systems in Linux and almost all of them provide the benefits stated above. Still, some are rated better than the rest depending on various criteria like the ease of use, data center reliability and the available commercial support. Ubuntu tops the list followed very closely by the Red Hat or the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). SUSE, Mandriva, Slackware, Xandros, Debian, Vyatta and Centos are other popular server distribution systems in the market. Linux Security - Now coming back to its security aspect, there is a common belief in the world of computers that the only properly safe and secure computer is the one that has undergone disconnection from the network, switched off and is then buried six feet underground. This is hardly a practical solution. Windows, the other popular operating system in the market is more user-friendly because of its GUI but lacks in security the edge provided by the more robust and secure Linux. In windows, even a user has administration rights and hence has access to everything in the system, even its crucial parts. Unfortunately, so do viruses and malware. In Linux, users have lower level accounts and not everyone has root privileges. The LSM or the Linux security Modules acts as a framework that allows the Linux Kernel to support various computer security models and avoids being biased to any particular security implementation. Security taken care of, more importantly, Linux is a very robust operating system. Languages like PHP seem to work very smoothly in them. PHP is an excellent server side technology that aids in dynamic web page creation. And more importantly, the language has gained huge popularity in recent years. In the Linux platform, apache is the best web server for PHP. Most PHP web design companies use apache as their web server. And it seems to rule this sector of the market.
