Technology

Web hosting for Linux

The World Wide Web has reached a level where it is indispensable for businesses. In the last 20 years, the importance of domain and hosting has increased incredibly. Irrespective of the size of the business, presence on the Internet has become almost mandatory. A website offers private space to the enterprise to express its business offerings and concepts. There are two major platforms that facilitate flawless integration of frameworks- Windows and Linux.

Linux: A little about the technology

Operating systems such as Windows 98, Windows XP or Windows Vista are quite common. Like those, Linux is also an operating system (OS). In other words, the user can install Linux on his computer and use it just like he would in the case of other OS.

History of Linux

Linus Torvalds developed Linux in 1991. He wanted to create a non-commercial alternative of Minix. His efforts yielded fruit in the form of Linux kernel. The Linux OS relies on the kernel for its functioning.

Open Source Architecture

As Linux is free to install and to use, millions of users across the world favour this Operating System. When an individual or enterprise has their web address hosted on the Linux architecture, there is substantial cost savings. ‘Open Source’ also means that users of the technology contribute to its developments. Hence, Linux brings in enhancements frequently.

Linux is Flexible

As Linux is an Open Source Software, it is certain that users will download it using different systems. And this is possible only if the Linux platform is flexible. That is why Linux has been designed to work on all types of systems. Compare this with proprietary architectures that do not offer such flexibility.

Compatibility

There are many types of platforms and databases such as PHP, MySQL, and WordPress. These and other most sought after platforms and DBs work well with Linux architecture as it is compatible with them. Developers can easily integrate JAVA and other platforms onto Linux. Linux is one of the few operating systems that offer a wide range of scripting languages.

Functionality, Security, Speed

Linux Web Hosting offers unmatched loading speed, stability and security. A Linux hosted website will load faster than that on Windows hosting. In a world where competition in the WWW is immense, and users do not think twice before leaving a website, it becomes imperative to have a website that loads faster. Hence, a website on Linux hosting brings more traffic, thereby generating more profits to the owner.

Cyber attacks have left no business untouched. Developers and businesses can make their websites less vulnerable to virus and bot attacks by choosing a Linux operated system.

A little into Linux Web Hosting

A hosting company offering Linux web hosting will most necessarily use LAMP software bundle. LAMP is short for Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP/Perl/Python. While Linux is an OS, Apache is a widely used web server. Apache is also Open Source. However, Apache runs on both Linux and Windows. MySQL is a DB (database) that offers access to multiple users to different databases. Programming languages such as PHP/Perl/Python are used in developing advanced web applications. Most Linux web hosting companies offer support for PHP. However, not all support Perl and Python.

Linux Hosting Vs Windows Hosting

It is quite common for users to get confused when choosing a web hosting service. The ‘Linux Hosting Vs Windows Hosting’ debate continues to haunt many. Unlike Linux, Windows is not Open Source. Being a property of Microsoft, it lends more support only if you are using MS apps such as ASP.Net or Visual C++.

With Linux web hosting, you can get more up time, less security issues, and less frequent rebooting. Moreover, Linux is cheaper than Windows. Hence, it makes sense to prefer 1&1 Linux hosting to Windows.

Image – ©Jupiterimages/Pixland/Thinkstock

Click to comment
To Top