Web Server OS, Linux or Windows Server?

[Niheel]

What do you think is the best operating system for web servers? Linux or Windows?
Why do you prefer one over the other?

I prefer linux. I think it's because everything else we use in our company is Open Source. It just meshes well with what we do.

What about you?

Cough* Cough* thescripts is on Linux!

[skyhawk133]

Well, I think they both have their advantages and disadvantages. I personally use Windows servers at work (mainly government stuff) and I use Linux servers for my own sites. I think I prefer the stability of Linux and the community that can help when an issue arises.

Wait, did I say Windows had advantages... yeh, I can't think of any... so Linux it is!!!

[cold-killer]

Well,i'd like to use windows for my personal work, because it's easy and there're a lot of application software for it. But to use for Web Server, ehh, windows may be OK, but you must very busy to update bug and your anti-virsus,fire-wall and so on.

[Banfa]

I lean towards Linux for web-servers for 2 reasons

1. I get the general impression that Linux is more stable for this type of application and if there are problems they tend to get sorted out quicker.
2. Running webservers is one of the areas where Linux has a comparable market share as Microsoft. I do not wish to see Microsoft crush Linux and take over the world completely so I support Linux in the applications where it is often used and well suited to the job at hand.

Having said that I have no experience of Linux at all, I have an old computer at home and putting Linux on it is on my list of things to do as soon as I get some free time (so currently scheduled for about 2016) :rolleyes:

For home development I run Apache, MySql and PHP from my Windows box.

[Moraru Lilian]

Apache works best on Linux. IIS best on Windows BUT, IIS works on Linux too by using a plugin.
For a server Linux and FreeBSD can keep high traffics very well, Windows can't keep it, breaks down...
Btw, hard to implement? In some Linux distros it is Very easy to implement. For example Red Hat: Just choose on installation the option "Web Server" and it's done.
Windows is good for gaming and it's easy to use but in this department Linux and FreeBSD wins 100%(better Linux for this, with kernel 2.6, very stable, O(1) on anything, amazing).