Web Server OS

[VapourTrail]

Contemplating setting up my own web server on a spare machine for a project that I'll be doing next year which involves creating a web application. I'll need a database (planning to use MySQL) as the backend to the system. Will either be using JSP or PHP to query the database. Will possibly use dyndns to make the server 'live' on the Net.

At the moment I'm looking for advice on what is the best OS/server combination to put on the machine that I want to run as my web server. As I see it my choices are Windows XP Pro with IIS/Apache or Linux with Apache. I've dabbled with setting up a MySQL/PHP/IIS combination on a XP machine but I have no experience with Linux.

Any thoughts, comments or suggestions would be most welcome.

 

[VapourTrail]

Does Linux then need a lot of 'hand holding' when installing? From what you guys are saying, it's a lot more difficult than building a new PC with XP and simply installing IIS onto it.

 

[VapourTrail]

As I'm only looking to run the server to help with development of my project I don't need to have it connected to the Net as I could just run the whole package (server and DBMS) on my main PC. However, I thought that it might be useful to build the server/DBMS on a separate machine that could be accessed from the Net for more extensive testing - not sure that I want my home PC connected to the Net with a 'live' site that I want people to access and help with the testing phase. Therefore, low cost is my prefered option. As I'm considering upgrading to Vista anyway I'll have my existing copy of XP Pro that I could then use on the server (with IIS) and then just load up MySQL with PHP and then it will be free, apart from hardware. I already have a domain name that I could have redirected using dyndns to my home server.