Linux server- What is it ?
A Linux Server, is a server based on the Linux OS. Since its creation in the early 1990s, the open source operating system Linux has become extremely popular thanks to the many improvements made by a large community of developers and users.
However, the popularity of Linux is also and above all linked to its use on servers. It is currently the most widely used operating system on servers, surpassing even Microsoft Windows in this field.
Linux is particularly popular for dedicated hosting because of its flexibility. This OS is compatible with a wide variety of hardware. It is possible to use it on a basic server as well as on a high-powered machine.
Similarly, Linux goes hand in hand with unmanaged servers and those with full root access. It is appreciated for the many customization possibilities it offers. There are many tutorials and other guides on the forums to learn how to modify code or applications. The complete source code is available online.
An optimizable and customizable permissions system provides enhanced security on Linux servers. Thanks to the snapshot capabilities offered by open source technology, stability is also ensured.
In general, Linux is lighter to run than other OSes, both on physical machines and on Cloud servers, since it does not require a graphical user interface. Most Linux variants are command-line based, making them even lighter, more functional and powerful at the expense of ease of use.
The open source character also keeps installation and maintenance costs low thanks to the flexibility offered. There are various popular variants of Linux such as CentOS, Debian, Fedora, RedHat and Ubuntu, and even proprietary variants give users some leeway.
The most commonly used configuration for web servers is LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP) with cPanel. If you want to split a machine into several virtual servers, you can use the open source Xen and KVM solutions.
Linux servers are notably used for hosting online games, system and network administration, database management or web services. They are also preferred for the centralized management of Business Intelligence or data analysis tools. Software developers and IT teams tend to prefer this OS for the degree of control it provides.
In general, companies typically choose Linux for their servers to support the most demanding applications. In addition, Cloud infrastructures are often Linux-based.