Advice Pls. - Good First OS for Home Server?

Aderes Devorah

Aderes Devorah

Aderes Devorah

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Hi

Yes, that sums it up really.

If I get my disused PC parts together I can make a pretty decent second system to be used as a server, and maybe put a Website or two on it.

Any recommendations on good operating systems to get me started?

Many thanks in hope!

Best
 
I'm guessing you have little to no experience with Linux? If so there's basically two routes I'd take:

Easy: Pick a distribution that is very user friendly, you may not learn all that much but it will be quicker to get stuff running, ultimately this boils down to one of the Ubuntu variants, if you're going to have a UI then pick something other than plain Ubuntu because Unity is just nasty (Linux Mint etc, or Xubuntu, Kubuntu, whatever)

Hard: Pick a distribution that will be much more involved to work with, with decent documentation/how-to's, but where it may take a bit longer/be a bit more involved but you'll learn more about the underlying system. For this I'd pick either Arch or Gentoo, Gentoo for a beginner may be a step too far though :p
 
Cheers!

SKILL said:
I'm guessing you have little to no experience with Linux? If so there's basically two routes I'd take:

Easy: Pick a distribution that is very user friendly, you may not learn all that much but it will be quicker to get stuff running, ultimately this boils down to one of the Ubuntu variants, if you're going to have a UI then pick something other than plain Ubuntu because Unity is just nasty (Linux Mint etc, or Xubuntu, Kubuntu, whatever)

Hard: Pick a distribution that will be much more involved to work with, with decent documentation/how-to's, but where it may take a bit longer/be a bit more involved but you'll learn more about the underlying system. For this I'd pick either Arch or Gentoo, Gentoo for a beginner may be a step too far though :p
Click to expand...

Many thanks!

Mint looks very good, and Arch may be a good option if I find I can take on more control.

Gentoo would be a bit like taking on Usain Bolt in the 100 m...

Thanks again

Best
 
Arch isn't good as a server, it's all cutting edge software and not heavily tested. It's for people who want the latest of everything.

Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS are the usual ones.
 
Perhaps not for a first pass, but FreeBSD is worth a look. It's harder to set up than Debian, but the underlying design is better. There's a separation between "base" programs and "ports", where the best install is small, efficient and robust. Linux mixes the software used to run the computer up with the software used to run user applications a lot more.

Debian is lovely, and I wouldn't be without it, but I still use FreeBSD as a server. For one thing the code compiles cleanly, without the thousands of warnings I remember from playing with gentoo. It's hard to beat OpenBSD's track record in security either if you're slightly paranoid.

It's probably not friendly to a new user, but perhaps something to keep in the back of your mind for a few years time.
 
BSD is definately the most secure due to being able run things like Apache in jails meaning they have no access to the actual system files.

But Debian is probably the easiest for someone new to linux
 
JimAroo said:
Debian.
Click to expand...

^^

Since it is your first, it will likely be your last as there are many resources and howtos online.

Once you are happy with your linuxFU you can try other flavors.

I started with debain -> freebsd . In the process of migrating some servers to gentoo hardened.
 
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Debian. Loads of help online and a lot of the ubuntu help can be useful with it too.

That's what I started with and use it pretty much exclusively on any linux servers I run.
 
Thought I'd throw in:

Mandriva are back from bankruptcy with a GUI based Server, I believe the single license version is free.
 
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