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What are the benefits of Linux and why you should choose linux.

Written by: Nathan

Article Overview: Why Choose the linux operating system? there are a lot of pros and cons to choosing which OS to use in your production environment. We will cover some of them here with a focus on the Pros of using linux in the business and enterprise.

What are the benefits of Linux and why you should choose linux.

The world of Linux is not only largely complex, but quite different than other operating systems. The benefits of Linux in ways reach far beyond the abilities of other systems. The main benefit of Linux is that it is stable, usually free and a very efficient operating system. A huge advantage to this is that the Linux operating system makes an excellent solution for businesses and companies. Since Linux is more stable and customizable, it makes the operating system especially suitable for running servers which can.t afford to have downtime.

As a business or corporate alternative, the benefits of Linux stand out significantly among other operating systems. Firstly, Linux is friendlier on system resources. The speed and power required to make most other operating systems work, Linux uses half the same amount of resources to operate as another similar application on a completely different operating system such as Windows 2003. Secondly, there are many server side operations which can only be carried out on some operating systems. Such servers that can be run on Linux are HTTP, FTP, DNS, File sharing, SSH and many others. Another benefit is that the Linux operating system is not just one operating system itself. There are many flavours of Linux you can choose from. Each one has its pros, cons and generally different in the way some things are laid out than with other Linux systems.

Linux also does not require the most often times rediculose licensing fees of Microsoft Windows Server platforms. Compared to the cost of a windows server which starts at about 1000$ for 5 users (and then about 100$ for each additional user license), Linux is a Free Server operating system regardless of the ammount of users. Lets say you are a small business with 20 users and all you require is a centralized authentication server and file server, with Linux you will save about 2500$ in licensing fees.

Linux is probably the best choice for running servers because it doesn't require running a graphical user interface. This helps keep system performance at peak so server applications can flow seamlessly. Linux servers are relatively set up to work out-of-the-box, but some configurations may be required to get everything afoot. Aside from that, they are relatively easy to manage with the server tools there are available. Many Linux servers today are also relatively easy to operate. Web interfaces and decently laid out editable configuration files make management of Linux servers a breeze. Although configuration of Linux servers can be complex sometimes, it.s well worth any time and effort spent to make a really reliable server.

So with all these benefits of Linux, how do you choose .the one?. Linuxcare can help you choose the best Linux suited for your application. You will also want to choose a Linux which supports all or most of the servers you would like to run. The benefits of Linux also include the fact that almost any update can be applied without system restart and since the computer rarely ever needs restarting to correct errors or complete updates, there is virtually no downtime. This is a good quality clients look for in a server. Though bandwidth is probably just as important, stability and uptime are the major benefits of Linux which should always be first consideration when administrating servers.



Stability: Linux doesn't need to be rebooted periodically to maintain performance levels. It doesn't freeze up or slow down over time due to memory leaks and such. Properly configured, Linux systems will generally run until the hardware fails or the system is shut down. Continuous up-times of hundreds of days (up to a year or more) are not uncommon.


Performance: Linux provides persistent high performance on servers and on networks. It can handle large numbers of users and Simultaneous connections. Over time Linux has constantly out performed other high end server operating systems and in networking applications often out performs high end vendor equipment such as cisco, 3com, juniper and many others.


Security: Linux is one of the most secure operating systems. Walls and flexible file access permission systems prevent access by unwanted visitors or viruses. Significantly less security holes then other server operating systems. Security updates are usually available in mere hours after an exploit or bug is found.


Linux Networking: Is far superior to most commercial software and hardware functions. Linux's feature rich networking is customizable to many applications as well as being secure.


Linux is flexible: This is probably the greatest advantage of all. Linux and OSS applications can be adapted for your specific needs, usually at low cost. Why? Because the source code is available to everyone. A great pool of OSS makes it possible for developers to quickly add a company-specific function. Instead of making your people waste their time working around the limitations of packaged software, make the software adapt to them. You can now think about.


Linux has the best technical support available: Linux is supported by commercial distributors, consultants, and by a very active community of users and developers. In 1997, the Linux community was awarded InfoWorld's Product of the Year Award for Best Technical Support over all commercial software vendors.


Multitasking: Linux supports true multi-tasking, which is the ability to run more than one "program" or "task" at the same time


Open source: If you develop software that requires knowledge or modification of the operating system code, Linux's source code is at your fingertips,


Linux source code is freely distributed: Tens of thousands of programmers have reviewed the source code to improve performance, eliminate bugs, and strengthen security. No other operating system has ever undergone this level of review. This Open Source design has created most of the advantages listed above.

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