Windows to Linux

A few people are discouraged by the belief that they cannot subscribe to a Linux web hosting account if they are using a version of Windows as their operating system. To be honest, your operating system will not affect what type of web hosting you can choose. Your website operates on a web server as opposed to the actual computer itself. The problem of compatibility between Linux and Windows arise when web based applications and scripts, such as MS SQL and ASP, come into play.

Regardless of how effective and widely used it is, Linux has taken a backseat to Windows in the public eye. Everyone recognizes Windows as the Microsoft powerhouse product. Both make very capable operating systems and offer great platforms for web hosting here a few ways in which they differ:

Availability - We mentioned previously that Linux is an open-source operating system. Users are not required to pay any licensing fees to use it. While an updated version of Windows will come with your PC, the company has recently stressed and enforced the activation process. This means that Windows can only be installed on a single computer. From there an updated service pack must be purchased. Linux allows users complete freedom with the system. Once you own it, the operating system can be installed on an unlimited amount of times on any computer you would like.

Dependability - Similar to its operating systems, Windows web hosting has been known to come with a few flaws. Linux servers have a solid reputation of being stable, much less likely to crash. This means the uptime guarantee from a Linux web host may be a bit more reliable.

Experience Factor - Even though Windows has evolved into a multimedia spectacle, they are somewhat less experienced than Linux in regard to web hosting. One can argue the case of Windows patterning its form of hosting after Linux considering the use MS SQL and other components.

Speed - When comparing operating systems, there is not much of a difference between Linux and Windows. Linux does seem to be somewhat faster in regarding to opening web pages and processing other content.

Integration - As discussed previously, Linux cannot support certain Windows functions such ASP. One component it can handle is FrontPage web creation. Linux hosting services offer free Microsoft page extensions that allow Windows user to easily upload their pages to a Linux server.

Scripts and File Extensions - While PHP is the default language, Linux hosting is also capable of supporting other scripts. These include Shell, Perl, Tcl and Python. Some of the file extensions it supports are HTML, XML and HTM.

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