help with OS selection

i like linux a lot and i intent to make linux and networking my career..even though i like linux better than windows(except when watching movies) i would like to keep an open minded attittude..i dont think linux is an answer for every problem..nor can that be said of the all powerful solaris or windows2000..however i would like to get a good picture of the situations in which one OS would fare better over the other..if i where to deploy linux,solaris and windows2000 advanced server as a nameserver or a mailserver or perhaps a web server how would the three perform over a certian period?
when people say that some OS is more stable and robust over others what do they mean(by stable and robust)?
when a machine is brought down for maintenance what all maintenance work is done on such a machine?
if i were to say that windows2000 has better filesystem security in the form of auditing, discretionary access control through ACL's,quotas and also a much sensible structure for groups and group policy compared to the different UNIX systems available would anyone have a point to prove otherwise?
does any of the UNIX OS have ACL's and auditing build into them?
how can i enable my Red Hat Linux 7.0 machine to do use ACL's and auditing,much like windows2000?by the way is it possible?
that was one series of long questions..they have been bothering me for sometime..i hope someone can throw light on them

with regards
scorpion

Don't have time today, but I'll be back to answer these. I'll give you a hint. The answer is 'yes'.

yes.

The short answer is yes.

Linux has disk quotas for users and groups.
LIDS (Linux Intrusion Detections Service) allows you to restrict access to files (even to root)
Tripwire will monitor file changes and Snort for network scans, probes, or attacks

As far as faster or more stable, it depends on what you load on the system. Linux is easy to do a "lean" install therfore eliminating overhead that could be used bor something else.

Just a few answers for ya.

Um yes
Multi user is a fairly new concept for windoze.
*N*X was built that way.
If it exists in windoze it is probably implemented earlier and better by some else.
ms DOS = PC DOS ( or dr DOS or whatever they bought
NTFS = HPFS (IBM OS/2)
C# = java (loosely as in CLR/IL)
.NET = XML/SOAP or Sun One
NetBios = IBM or DEC standard
Recycle Bin = Mac Trash
IE = Netscape
TCP/IP = Lifte ddirectly from BSD for 2000 (did you wonder how it grew more stable?)
The new secure computing initiative = HELLO?
Hotmail still runs on FreeBSD
wehavethewayout.com ran on fbsd til they were found out...took a week to get it back up
didn't they buy NT from someone??
yawn !!! This was posted through w2k:|

i would prolly say linux, cause i never really liked windows 2000 =(

What does stability mean? It means I haven't had to reboot my linux for over a year. And it chugs along as fast as the day I built it. Duh...sorry.

Robustness=The ability to do everything on one box without the harassing resdource conflicts. I can rip DVD's, Carry out network vulnerability assesment, do image editing, etc. etc. etc.

"Unix is the answer, you just have to ask the question very carefully." -I forget(and am too lazy to go find out right now.)

Most Unix have ACL's or the ability to do the same thing.

For help with RedHat might I suggest visiting their site. www.redhat.com

So like I said the quick answer 'yes'.

Excuse me for the short response I have to go take care of nagging jerk-off that keeps trying to MAC spoof me. Dumb-a$$......