LINUX HELP FOR BEGINNERS
The first thing that you’ll have to decide when it comes to web hosting is what platform to use. The type of database or scripting language that you use will coincide with the type of web hosting plan you choose. Linux web hosting has been the primary choice for most developers till date and it powers a majority of the web. This is due to various benefits that it has to offer for website development.
For beginners or for people who are interested in coming up with a website that is a blog site or is a shopping cart, using Linux is much easier. Features, like having an inquiry form on the website or managing online shopping, are better managed by Linux. If there are no particularly specified requirements, you should consider Linux web hosting.
You might also be interested in using a Linux Platform if you are using any of the following development languages:
- PHP
- Perl
- MySQL
- Python
- XML
- Ruby
- WordPress
If you are new to the world of web hosting, you will find Linux very attractive because it is open-source software and involves no costs. If you are looking for free open source applications then Linux is the best option as it provides a number of free desktop applications, snippets, tools etc. This results in a drastic fall in your expenses as compared to windows web hosting.
It has been observed that Linux-based web servers have an edge over others because of their stability and robustness. Supported uptime is generally very high — almost 99.9% system uptime can be achieved by properly managing the other factors involved (like power supply, the competence of technical support staff and the load of the network).
If you need to move a site from a Linux-based platform to a Windows-based server, it will not be a very big problem. But doing it the other way round is very difficult.
Any kind of file extensions can be used in a website that is being hosted by a Linux based server (be it .html, .php, .xml, shtml or .cgi). Linux does not always work well with Windows-based applications. Thus, while taking a decision on which platform to choose you to need to be well informed about the specific requirements of the website being developed.
When we develop a new website, it is inevitable that as its popularity will increase, there will be an impending demand for it to grow. The customers’ or clients’ various requirements will determine the dynamics of the website and its pages will increase accordingly. Basically, it is required that websites have a capability of being scalable without any major changes. A Linux based server ensures this.
Due to its evident advantages, Linux remains to be the uncrowned king of the web-hosting world.
