Four Drawbacks of Linux Server Hosting

April 20, 2010

Four Drawbacks of Linux Server Hosting

Linux and Windows server hosting are the two main operating systems that support server hosting. While each operating system has its advantages, there are also a few drawbacks of each. The selection of an operating system solely depends on the necessities of the customer and there are trade-offs for one selection over another.

Although the primary reasons for choosing the Linux operating system for a server are its reliability and free open-source software. While these advantages are appealing, there are a few downsides to using this software as the operating system of choice for a server.

The top four disadvantages of using Linux Server Hosting include:

Linux varieties come from different companies
Linux lacks applications and compatible software
Linux doesn’t have as much help for newcomers
Shell based structure can be difficult to use

Different Companies

Since Linux is a free open-source operating system, there are numerous companies that contribute to its upgrades and maintenance. Although most Linux developments are a collaborative effort, they are independent of each other. This can cause a good deal of chaos and compatibility issues.

Compatibility Issues

Another downfall to Linux is the lack of applications available as well as compatible software. There are many more pieces of software available for Windows. Since Linux isn’t as widespread, the number of applications are limited which can be detrimental to an e-commerce business or even a personal website.

Also, Linux is unable to support various Windows-based scripting technologies. For example, ASP is a popular programming language offering many useful extensions. The language and extensions cannot run on Linux-based servers due to incompatibilities. Consequently websites created with Windows scripting in mind will not easily be transferred to a Linux server.

Limited Support

An additional issue with Linux hosting is the lack of help. Since Linux initially has difficult terminology to comprehend, the help often won’t make sense to a newcomer. Also, since Linux is open source software with contributors from various companies, there isn’t as well of an established support center like that found with Microsoft.

Shell-Based Structure

Furthermore, since Linux is run on a shell-based structure, the system can appear extremely complex to a newcomer. On a shared server, this doesn’t have as much of an effect. However, on a dedicated server, it can be difficult to learn and perform critical tasks.

While Linux is affordable and reliable, there are many areas that lack and put the user at a disadvantage. Since numerous companies contribute to Linux development, there are compatibility issues with many applications and technologies, Linux offers limited support and utilizes a shell-based structure, there are many users that turn to the Windows platform for these trade-offs.

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