Which flavour of Linux is best as a server?

[Rewandythal]

In your opinions, anyone who has an opinion they would like to share, that is, which Linux distribution makes the best servers? I have Mandrake 7.0, Mandrake 7.1 and RedHat 5.2 (But don't limit your choices to these, or to these versions of the distributions... I'm gonna buy a boxed Linux distro for use on a P120 nice old machine to use as an HTTP/FTP/SMB server, and maybe as an internet firewall & proxy... I just wondered which distro you thought would be best for this?

[Rewandythal]

In your opinions, anyone who has an opinion they would like to share, that is, which Linux distribution makes the best servers? I have Mandrake 7.0, Mandrake 7.1 and RedHat 5.2 (But don't limit your choices to these, or to these versions of the distributions... I'm gonna buy a boxed Linux distro for use on a P120 nice old machine to use as an HTTP/FTP/SMB server, and maybe as an internet firewall & proxy... I just wondered which distro you thought would be best for this?

[micael]

I have SuSE linux Professional 7.x and Im satisfied with it. IMHO SuSE is a good choice if you want to buy a cheap and good linux distribution or install it directly from the net, the choice is yours.

[micael]

I have SuSE linux Professional 7.x and Im satisfied with it. IMHO SuSE is a good choice if you want to buy a cheap and good linux distribution or install it directly from the net, the choice is yours.

[socketd]

FreeBSD is IMHO the best server system and OpenBSD for log-hosts, oohh you said Linux?
Ok, then Slackware, but SuSE (the server version) can also be used.

br
socketd

[socketd]

FreeBSD is IMHO the best server system and OpenBSD for log-hosts, oohh you said Linux?
Ok, then Slackware, but SuSE (the server version) can also be used.

br
socketd

[Rewandythal]

Ok, I've never actually given Free/OpenBSD a try, maybe I'll boot up my test machine and put a BSD version on, I've got a free BSD disk someplace... Problem is i've got too many bloody CDs!!

[Rewandythal]

Ok, I've never actually given Free/OpenBSD a try, maybe I'll boot up my test machine and put a BSD version on, I've got a free BSD disk someplace... Problem is i've got too many bloody CDs!!

[VicTT]

I like LINUX Mandrake,it's pretty 'usable' as a server and has a few strong points

[VicTT]

I like LINUX Mandrake,it's pretty 'usable' as a server and has a few strong points

[Focmaester]

Check out www.linux.org
they got some pretty good small distro's that are used for certain tasks.

[Focmaester]

Check out www.linux.org
they got some pretty good small distro's that are used for certain tasks.

[ThePreacher]

Hello Rewandythal, If you are going to use your machine as a webserver, I suggest that you download the newest version of Apache from their website. Any distribution of linux can make a good server operating system if used correctly. I currently use Linux Mandrake 8.1 as my webserver and it works fine. As for the BSD's here is a warning. They are more difficult to install than most linux distros.

[ThePreacher]

Hello Rewandythal, If you are going to use your machine as a webserver, I suggest that you download the newest version of Apache from their website. Any distribution of linux can make a good server operating system if used correctly. I currently use Linux Mandrake 8.1 as my webserver and it works fine. As for the BSD's here is a warning. They are more difficult to install than most linux distros.

[Ph3onix]

Well... I use Debian/GNU Linux stable on my boxes, and unstable on workstations... and i can say that debian is realy STABLE and i have good perfomance with it :]

P.S sorry for my baaad english :]
---------------
Dennis Nasarov
Pheonix
http://linux.net.kg

[RiOtEr]

hehe by a sparc server the only way to go hehe only a few thousand dollars but solaris is good?!
redhat is probaly best if ur a newbie to linux but if your a vetran go freebsd as they are probably the most secure remote wise
RiOtEr

[Matty_Cross]

Rioter: Isn't NetBSD the one which is meant to be hella secure?

On the topic, for a Linux distribution, from what I've heard, Debian is one of the best for it, due to the time they spend testing the components of the distribution....

I've heard many good things on the BSD family, but have yet to actually fiddle with it....

[KorpDeath]

OpenBSD and FreeBSD rock. The most stable and fatstest performers out there. They can also be hardened extremely well.

The only shortcoming BSD has is it's support for some hardware. But then, you'd all check that out before you go having a bad experience with it because of unsupported hardware, now wouldn't you?

[souleman]

RiOter and Matty> OpenBSD is the most secure out of the box. FreeBSD is most user friendly and NetBSD is most portable. If you are talking an old P120, you shouldn't have a problem installing any of them.

If you know linux, and like it, I would go with Slackwear. If you kinda know linux, get Debian. If you are new, then get Redhat. Suse is ok, but has a LOT of CD's. Mandrake is quirky in my experience.

Just a thought. If you are going to be making this an http/ftp/smb server, then you don't want it as your firewall/proxy. Besides the fact that you are going to need quite a bit of RAM, SMB on on internet connected machine is crazy. Thats just asking for trouble.

[sniper001]

If you want to use you comp as a router/firewall, there's quite a cool small distribution from Mandrake : Single Network Firewall (SNF). It uses a secured kernel, and has several security options enable and improved from "normal" distributions.
You can configure it by using your usual internet browser : all its configuration can be done through a web page.

[diomedes]

Linux distro servers, use Debian or Slackware, Debian definetly owns the market share of Linux servers out there. NetBSD is good, but no better then Debian, remember a server is only as good as it's admin.

I'd use Debian over Solaris on sparc hardware for alot of things..

~deprave~

ps Suse, Mandrake, Redhat really are gay for servers

[ronaldg2]

FreeBSD is very stable and It runs Linux binary files.
Try it.

Ronald.

[ArmyOfOne]

On a P120, It should be able to *almost* handle anything if you have 64mb of ram...

[linuxcomando]

The best linux to run i think is slackware......but i would highly recomend runing a BSD box over linux anyday.....if you dont have multiple processers and dont need java run OpenBSD...hella secure. But if you need java or have need for smp run freeBSD
I think generaly speaking freeBSD and OpenBSD are more secure then your genral linux box.....I belive OpenBSD hasn't had a remote exploit in like 4 years on the default install....