[Discuss] Why use Linux? (back to original question)

[Bill Ricker]

A discussion of the ethics of Apache/MIT license vs GPL, however
interesting, has long since departed from Micky's requested topic still on
the Subject: line, which was motivated as, how to sell (Gnu/)Linux as
alternative to Windows Server as host for Drupal.

So can i rephrase OP's question as ,

*What are the (dis)advantages for set-up and administration of Drupal [or
other similar packaged FLOSS software] served from a Unix-oid OS, vs.
Windows Server ?*

* I'd say SSH and screen or other text terminal mux are big wins for
Unix/Linux here.
   But ease of working remote commandline presumes the skills to do so as
well.

* For "admins" needing to use non-web remote fullscreen admin
tools (whether due to lack of CL skill or lack of CL tools to admin a
commercial package), Windows remote desktop tools may be easier than
arranging X-window forwarding, especially if they don't usually have
X-windows at their desktop otherwise (which has odd security concerns most
happily ignore).
    Some packages have Windows native admin tools that can run remote
against a Linux edition of the package (mySQL/mariaDB), but this is the
exception.

* Most Linux distros will install all prereqs for Drupal with Drupal, and
can be set to auto-update all layers for security patches, top to bottom
with one mechanism. On Windows, MS layers patch monthly and Drupal and its
dependencies will patch differently on their own schedules.


( One might ask further, how does it change if virtualized vs on dedicated
hardware ? )

Only after answering that should one maybe delve into differences between
Proprietary Unix (AIX, HPUX, Solaris, True64, Mac Server = BSD/Mach-Darwin)
and FLOSS (Gnu/Linux, Gnu/Herd, *BSD, RedHat, Ubuntu, Debian, Gentoo, etc,
etc. )
  But in reality, most hosting providers offer pretty much the same
shortlist of Windows and Linux variants and don't offer Unix, and why would
you at Collo or at home either, unless a big AIX or Solaris shop otherwise.
Certainly there are security advantages to using Gentoo, NetBSD, or
particularly FreeBSD in exposed Colo environment !


- Bill