The best Linux distributions for the server. Server operating systems

This material presents a list of the most popular, common server operating systems, which are widely used here in Russia.

First, we will find out why we need a server operating system.

What is a server operating system for?

Server operating system- designed to manage software, which in turn serves all network users, both internal and external. Why can’t you use a regular, user OS as a server OS? You ask, because the server OS provides specialized management functionality, so to speak, more convenient, efficient, designed specifically for specific administration and management purposes, and such functionality simply does not exist in user operating systems, which, by the way, act as clients of these server operating systems. And, of course, we can conclude that if we have specialized functionality and the cost of this functionality will be completely different, there are, of course, exceptions.

Now let's figure out how to choose a server operating system. First of all, you need to clearly decide for what purposes this server and, accordingly, its operating system will be used. And, based on the specific task, you will select the operating system and the necessary hardware configuration for this operating system. But, if you are not familiar with the operating system that will be the best option in all respects, then choose the OS in which you have already worked or carefully study and test ( for example, on a virtual machine) OS unfamiliar to you. Since knowledge, skill and understanding of operating system administration greatly influences not only the initial installation and configuration, but also its further maintenance and management.

Well, now let’s move directly to the consideration of server operating systems, which are the most popular and widespread today.

Let's start, of course, with Microsoft products. Today I will highlight two versions of the operating system: Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Note! This material is outdated and currently Windows Server 2003 is no longer supported, and Windows Server 2008 R2 is already far behind modern versions in functionality, so I recommend using newer versions, for example, Windows Server 2016.

Windows Server 2003

Windows Server 2003- is already a fairly old operating system but, one way or another, is widely popular among system administrators in Russia.

This product can be used for almost all purposes that arise for administrators, but do not forget about quality, since all desktop options ( those. have a graphical shell) request many more resources than non-frontend operating systems. Therefore, if you are going to use an OS with a graphical shell, you need to take this into account when choosing equipment for the server. Windows Server 2003 is great for novice system administrators. This platform is perfect for domain controllers, if you use the Active Directory directory service, and if you plan to use remote user connections in your network, then on this OS you can easily implement “ Terminal Server».

Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2008 R2– a more advanced, in terms of new technologies, operating system from Microsoft.

Windows Server 2008 R2 is already a leader in many performance tests of server operating systems. For example, it is best to run a file server on this OS. In addition, in this operating system: improved support for virtualization, a new version of the Active Directory directory service, support for up to 256 processors, unlike Windows Server 2003, it is also better implemented “ Terminal Server" The advantage of this platform is that it is suitable for high-quality performance of almost all tasks, but the disadvantage is that it requires more resources, unlike its relatives.

Now let's move on to unix-like operating systems, and let's start, in my opinion, with the leader in popularity ( among unix-like).

Ubuntu Server

Ubuntu Server– an operating system that uses the Linux kernel.

Ubuntu Server will cost you much less than those listed above. Many novice system administrators experience fear and horror when it comes to non-front-end Unix-like operating systems, explaining this by the fact that “It’s complicated and unclear" I dare to assure you that setting up these operating systems is much easier than the same Windows Server 2008 R2, where there is an endless variety of options and settings. And in Unix systems, all setup comes down to editing configuration files. Also, as noted above, these systems require significantly less resources than their GUI counterparts.

Ubuntu Server is easy to install and maintain, provides high reliability and performance, and also has a high level of security and is great for almost all tasks.

CentOS

CentOS is a Linux distribution based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux from Red Hat.

The operating system is also very friendly and many system administrators prefer this operating system. All CentOS software is highly stable as everything is carefully checked and tested. CentOS is widely used as a platform for Web servers. You can read more about this operating system in the material – Installing Linux CentOS 7.1 and review of the distribution.

Debian

Debian is one of the most popular Linux distributions. By the way, Ubuntu is based on Debian.

Many organizations ( both small and large) gave their preference to Debian. Here I will highlight the Debian 8.0 release, since it has already been sufficiently tested and shows good results. One of the features of Debian is that it has a huge amount of software in its repositories. Some people think that Debian is difficult to administer compared to other systems, but I believe that if you have dealt with Unix-like systems, Debian will not be difficult for you to master. Debian features also include:

A unique package management system, i.e. system ( or its individual components) can be updated without reinstallation and even without losing user settings, and in some cases even without rebooting;
Debian development is carried out by people all over the Internet, something that no other Linux distribution can boast of, where development is carried out by separate groups or organizations.

Gentoo

Gentoo- Linux distribution, popular because it is extremely flexible in configuration and, if configured correctly, you will receive performance benefits as a result.

It is also known that this distribution is used only by professionals in their field, since this very setup requires certain knowledge. Gentoo has a number of advantages such as: fast speed, excellent user community.

FreeBSD

FreeBSD- A Unix-like operating system, very popular among Internet companies, since this operating system is perfect for all kinds of web servers.

FreeBSD is a great option for a web server because it is a powerful TCP/IP stack with support for industry standards such as SLIP, PPP, NFS, DHCP and NIS. And so FreeBSD can easily interface with other systems, as well as serve as a server for a large enterprise, providing vital features such as NFS ( remote file access) and email services, or represent your organization on the Internet, providing services such as WWW, FTP, routing and firewall functions.

FreeBSD runs some of the largest and busiest sites on the Internet ( for example, Yahoo!) and a large proportion of all other sites also run on FreeBSD.

But FreeBSD can be used not only as a platform for an Internet server, but also as a regular server that performs all the tasks that other server operating systems perform and there is no need to limit the capabilities of FreeBSD. FreeBSD is highly secure and performant. In addition, this operating system will cost you free and, among other things, FreeBSD is developed and supported by a large team of developers.

Solaris

Solaris- an operating system developed by Sun Microsystems, which is now owned by Oracle Corporation, and from this it became paid.

This operating system is one of the most productive OS in the world, and therefore enjoys a certain popularity.

These are the server operating systems that are widely used by many enterprises, and your choice of OS is yours!

This material is devoted to the basics of the operating system. Linux server. From this material you will learn why it is worth using Linux as a server, and also obtain the necessary initial knowledge that will be useful to you to start working with servers based on this OS.

First, let's talk about why you should use Linux as a server operating system. Many people are so used to Windows that they don’t even want to hear about Linux, I mean even custom versions of Linux with beautiful and comfortable desktops. And to the question, why don’t you want to use Linux? Everyone answers: “ Yes, he's kind of clumsy!», « " and so on. But in fact, to all users who are so categorical about Linux, I want to say that Linux is a very friendly operating system, and you just need to understand it a little and everything will become clear to you.

Now I want to list some advantages of Linux over Windows, and also dispel some myths:

Linux is a completely free operating system ( with the exception of some paid distributions), unlike Windows;
Linux is virtually virus-free;
Everyone who says that " Programs I use on Windows do not install on Linux", You might think, why should they be installed!!! After all, this is a completely different OS, it has its own programs! It can also be said about Windows that “ programs that run on Linux do not install on Windows“, for Linux there are many of their own programs that are not inferior to Windows, and many software manufacturers also release their products for both Windows and Linux.
Linux is more productive, especially the server version of the operating system. I explain that Linux server operating systems do not have interfaces, and most of the resources ( more than a half!!!) just occupies the OS interface, i.e. visual shell ( Today, versions of Windows without a graphical interface are also widespread.).
Linux OS practically does not freeze, ( I mean the operating system itself). For example, everyone has encountered a situation where in Windows everything freezes, you can’t help but move the mouse, you can’t even press ctrl+alt+del, and you have to reboot. Linux is designed in such a way that such a situation is excluded, except in one case when you yourself cause such a situation.
Regarding the Linux server OS, it is quite simple to configure, unlike its Windows counterparts, which have a lot of different gadgets that are not so easy to understand. The Linux system itself and all its services are configured by editing configuration files. These are ordinary text files, knowing their location and format, you can configure any distribution, even if you don’t have any tools at hand other than a text editor.

I don't want to popularize the Linux OS and somehow disparage Windows, but in some cases there is no better option than using the Linux operating system. Until some time, I also thought that Linux was somehow not our thing, but when I came across this OS, I was simply pleasantly surprised.

Now let's get straight to the basics of Linux Server. For example, we will use the Linux distribution Ubuntu Server 10.10.

Basic Linux Server Settings

Describe the installation process of Ubuntu Server 10.10. I won’t, since it’s no more complicated, and maybe even simpler, than installing Windows, the only thing I’ll ask you to do during the installation process is when “ Selecting the software to install» mark installation « OpenSSH Server" This is so that you can later connect to this computer remotely using an ssh client ( for example PuTTY). And at the same time, you will have full access to the operating system from any computer on your network, since a monitor is usually not attached to the server and the server itself is located in a specially designated room for servers ( server).

In the window " Setting up user accounts and passwords» Enter your username and set a password.

After installation, you boot for the first time, and the OS management console appears before your eyes. To begin, enter your login, press enter, and then your password in order to enter the OS itself. You will be logged in as the user you just created, which does not have root privileges.

Setting up users in Linux

ROOT– standard superuser of Linux OS, which has maximum rights. By the way, unlike Windows, in which administrator rights are not the highest ( there are also system ones), but root rights are the highest and if you work as root and perform any actions, no one will ask you “ Do you really want to do this?"as in Windows, for example, but let's say right away that you will kill the system, without any questions there. But, one way or another, we first need to activate this user, because in the future we will need superuser rights ( Tip: Always work as a normal user until you need to switch to root mode), root is disabled by default. Activating the root account is done as follows, simply set a password for root.

Sudo passwd root

The system will ask you to enter the password of the user you are working under, and only then will you enter a new password for the future root and repeat it.

Since we're talking about users, let's learn how to create them. It's done like this.

Sudo useradd -d /home/testuser -m testuser

sudo is a utility that grants the user some administrative privileges;
useradd – a utility that adds a user to the system;
-d – option to set the home directory for the user;
/home/testuser – home directory path;
-m – option to create a home directory;
testuser is the name of our new user.

Now we set a password for the new user.

Sudo passwd tester

Setting up a network in Linux

Now that we have a little understanding of the users, we need to configure the network, it is quite possible that the DHCP server has already done this, but perhaps you want to set static IP addresses, gateway addresses and DNS ( which, in principle, is natural for the server).

To do this, edit the following file.

Sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

nano is a standard Linux editor;
interfaces – a file responsible for the network configuration.

When you open this file, you will see something like the following, or rather, it will look like this in the end if you need static IP addressing on this computer.

# This file describes the network interfaces available on your system # and how to activate them. For more information, see interfaces(5). # The loopback network interface auto lo iface lo inet loopback # The primary network interface auto eth0 iface eth0 inet static address 192.168.1.2 netmask 255.255.255.0 gateway 192.168.1.1

Here eth0- this is your network connection, there can be many of them depending on how many network cards you have, Static says that this is a static IP address, if it were dynamic, then DHCP would be specified instead of static. Well, the rest is probably all clear.

Address – computer IP address;
Netmask – subnet mask;
Gateway - default gateway.

Save the file by pressing ctrl+o and then exit the editor with ctrl+x.

Now you need to assign a DNS server, this is done by editing the following file.

Sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf

Write or change the following.

Nameserver 192.168.1.100 nameserver 192.168.1.200

Where, 192.168.1.100 and 192.168.1.200 are the addresses of our DNS servers, if you have only one DNS server, then indicate only one line.

When we have configured everything, we need to restart our network interfaces, this is done as follows.

Sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

Installing programs on Linux Server

In Linux, programs are installed completely differently than in Windows, so the knowledge that you had when working with Windows will not help you here. In Linux, all software is stored in Repositories - this is a kind of repository of software packages special for Linux, which is located on the Internet, and is freely distributed online, or on CDs. In order to update your repositories ( already installed on Linux OS), You need to run the following command ( provided that you have an Internet connection).

Sudo apt-get update

Now that we have updated the standard repositories, you can install something, I suggest installing a file manager, one of the most common in Linux is - Midnight Commander(MC). There are slight similarities with FAR, which is used in Windows. Programs on server Linux are installed as follows.

Sudo apt-get install mc

Where, mc is our program that we want to install, i.e. our file manager Midnight Commander.

After installation, you can try this program, it is easy to launch, enter the name of the program in the console, i.e. mc and press enter.

I think this is enough for the basis; in the following articles (Basic Linux Ubuntu Server Terminal Commands) we will talk more specifically about setting up any services ( demons). And that's all for now.

1. What trends in the development of server operating systems could you note in 2015–2016?

Vitaly Chesnokov, QSOFT
Server operating systems have always strived and strive for stability, speed, fault tolerance, uninterrupted operation during maintenance, and ease of deployment and administration.

In recent years, the number of servers running on the *nix OS family has been growing. This is due to their high stability and speed of operation. Over time, Linux becomes more and more convenient to use. In addition, there are distributions that have official support from the manufacturer and are aimed at enterprise-level companies. In this situation, it is not surprising that even products such as MS SQL and .NET are receiving Linux support. In the next few years, full support for Linux applications in the Microsoft OS family is expected. Since support will be implemented by translating system calls from the Linux kernel to the Windows kernel, it is expected that the performance of applications operating in this way will not be reduced.

Also, over time, the uninterrupted operation of server operating systems has greatly increased. For example, not long ago it became possible to reboot and update drivers without rebooting the system. It has even gotten to the point where it is possible to completely update a modern Linux distribution (including the kernel), almost unnoticed by the end user.

Nikolay Apurin, Artwell
Increasing the number of Linux servers.

Nikolay Fetyukhin,MST
Mainly supporting and extending virtualization and clustering. The main modern trend is the rapid deployment of components and systems from prepared images on virtual machines. Also improved cluster management tools and remote control of other machines.

Petr Urvaev, SimbirSoft
There have been no major changes, and Linux and Windows are still used as server operating systems (of course, in their latest versions and builds).

Evgeniy Gusev ITECH
Firstly, containerization is a revolutionary resource management concept that took root in the industry overnight, but is still only revealing its potential. Undoubtedly, many interesting things still await us.

Secondly, clustering, focus on cloud computing. In part it echoes the previous point, in part it is an independent trend. CoreOS, Openstack, Microsoft Azure are bright representatives of the present and near future of server computing.

2. How do you assess the extent of distribution and quality of domestic server OS?

Vitaly Chesnokov, QSOFT
Despite the small degree of distribution, the number of domestic operating systems based on Linux is growing steadily. These operating systems are mainly used in the government sector and the defense industry. It's safe to say that domestic operating systems have received all the advantages of Linux. In addition, they are mostly certified by FSTEC. We can predict a rapid growth in their popularity.

Nikolay Apurin, Artwell
They exist - this is definitely a plus. Of course, this is not a mass industrial solution (there are no domestic operating systems that have been installed by more than 100,000,000 people), but they perform their task of protecting information perfectly.

Nikolay Fetyukhin,MST
Domestic operating systems are mainly specialized for certain industries and the army. A good example is AstroLinux and WSWS, but they lag behind the main repositories, so they are rarely used widely in non-specialized projects

Petr Urvaev, SimbirSoft
Domestic server operating systems are niche products developed on the basis of Linux. They do not provide additional functionality compared to their global counterparts and are therefore little used in commercial development. Domestic server operating systems are used mainly in the public sector and the defense industry, where complete control over all stages of development of the software used is more important than commercial profitability.

Evgeniy Gusev ITECH
In the niche that is reserved for them - mostly highly specialized operating systems - they are common and cope with the tasks. As a general-purpose OS, it is difficult for it to compete with free, more common and better documented analogues.

3. What factors influence the choice of server OS?

Vitaly Chesnokov, QSOFT
Each OS has its own advantages and disadvantages; in addition, there are some highly specialized OSs tailored for the operation of certain services. The main factors influencing the choice of an OS will be: price, availability of support from the OS manufacturer, support for the software required for the project, complexity of the initial setup, complexity of administration and project tasks. In general, any of the server OS provides stability, speed and high fault tolerance in operation, so the choice is usually made based on the above points.

Nikolay Apurin, Artwell
First of all, it is necessary to understand what information will be processed, determine the required degree of its protection and the OS requirements of the information system that will process the information.

Nikolay Fetyukhin,MST
First of all - the development platform, then - support, security and convenience. We deploy our .NET projects on Windows Server 2012 R2. For mobile application servers (Python, Django), virtual machines running Debian are most often used. Virtual machines are deployed on Hyper-V on Windows Server.

Petr Urvaev, SimbirSoft
Easy to use and configure, support for the selected OS technologies used in the project. This is especially true for software from Microsoft, some versions of which may not work on Linux.

4. What reasons can lead to the transition to a new server OS? What difficulties may arise in the process and how can they be overcome?

Vitaly Chesnokov, QSOFT
If properly configured, a server OS can work uninterruptedly for years in a static project. Typically, the reasons for the transition are either vulnerabilities that cannot be fixed without updating, or the rapid development of the project, the need to use new software and scale.

When switching to a new OS, administrators often encounter compatibility problems, although recently such problems have received a lot of attention from server OS and software developers. As practice shows, the transition can be carried out in any case, but this may require certain resources on the part of both administrators and programmers of the project. Naturally, such risks are reduced with competent, continuous administration and development.

Nikolay Fetyukhin,MST
Increased productivity, development platform requirements, more convenient management and monitoring tools. Difficulties most often arise in backward compatibility. Linux servers are especially prone to this problem. To overcome difficulties, it is better to clearly plan the transition in advance so that development can test and adapt applications to the new environment and use test machines.

Petr Urvaev, SimbirSoft
The reason for switching to a new server OS may be the end of support for the operating system you are using or the transition to new software that is incompatible with the current OS. At the same time, the transition to a new version of the OS is relatively painless, but difficulties arise when moving from one OS to another (for example, from Windows to Linux).

Evgeniy Gusev ITECH
Compliance with the intended tasks, level of support and size of the community, licensing policy and degree of integration into the existing company infrastructure.

Linux operating systems are extremely common and have a wide range of applications. While certain Linux distributions are aimed at power users, others are much simpler and are great for switching to from Windows. Linux distributions often benefit from the significant resources of their user communities.

Although Linux operating systems offer an excellent desktop environment, Linux can also be an excellent system for server applications. Generally, Linux provides improved access control, giving greater flexibility and stability.

Therefore, Linux distributions are the ideal server landscape. Check out the 12 best Linux operating systems for servers and what kind of users they are aimed at.

What is Linux operating system for server?

What makes the Linux server operating system different from a regular Linux distribution? To answer, you need to take into account the server hardware. Servers are essentially computers with special characteristics. For example, server hardware guarantees long uptime, efficiency and reliability. In addition, servers balance processing power with electricity consumption. Therefore, Linux operating systems for servers place reliability and resource consumption first.

The Linux server operating system serves content for client devices. Accordingly, server operating systems have tools for creating simple servers. Since servers mostly operate in unattended mode, the graphical user interface (GUI) in the Linux operating system for the server has a less important role.

According to IDC, hardware sales data indicates that 28 percent of servers use Linux. However, this data most likely does not take into account home servers. Using specialized Linux operating systems, you can deploy your own server. It is important to use the Long Term Service (LTS) version and install the necessary software. LTS versions are more stable and have a longer support period.

When choosing a Linux operating system for a server, you should consider the purpose of the server. Application computer running Linux as a media server different from its use as game server.

Ubuntu Server

Probably the most famous of the Linux operating systems is Ubuntu. With many options, Ubuntu is a stable distribution. This system and its variants provide excellent user experience. The Ubuntu Server system comes in two versions - LTS and as a rolling release. The LTS version of Ubuntu Server is said to have a five-year support period. Although this period is not five years, non-LTS versions only have nine months of security and maintenance updates.

While Ubuntu and Ubuntu Server are very similar to each other, the Server version offers different features. For example, Ubuntu Server provides add-ons such as OpenStack Mitaka, Nginx, and LXD. They make system administration easier. Using Ubuntu Server, you can deploy web servers, provision containers, and much more. Moreover, these tools are ready to use immediately after installation.

Although not a server distribution, Ubuntu LTS provides a five-year support period. I'm currently using Ubuntu 16.04 LTS running Plex server as a Linux gaming server. LTS distributions can function very well as Linux server operating systems. You just need to install server software on them.

If you're new to Linux, or to server operating systems, then Ubuntu is a great choice. It remains one of the most popular Linux distributions due in part to its user friendliness. Accordingly, Ubuntu Server is a Linux server operating system that is fantastic for first-time users. It is excellent as a media server, game server, and email server. More complex servers can also be configured with Ubuntu Server, but it is definitely aimed at basic servers and beginners.

SUSE Linux debuted in 1993. In 2015, the open source variant of openSUSE evolved into SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE). There are two branches of openSUSE: Leap and Tumbleweed. The Leap version has a longer release cycle, while Tumbleweed is a rolling release. Therefore, Tumbleweed is more suitable for advanced users, providing the latest packages such as Linux Kernel and SAMBA. The Leap option is more suitable for stable solutions. The operating system is supported through updates.

The default tooling makes openSUSE a fantastic Linux server operating system. It includes openQA for automated testing, Kiwi for delivering Linux images on multiple platforms, YaST for configuring Linux, and the comprehensive Open Build Service package manager. By eliminating the nine-month rolling release cycle and focusing on stability as SLE does, openSUSE becomes a viable Linux environment for servers. Information technology specialists even called openSUSE"...CentOS and Debian from SUSE."

For which users is it intended: openSUSE is more suitable for advanced users such as system administrators. It is suitable for installation web— servers, basic home servers, or combinations of web servers and basic servers. System administrators can take advantage of tools such as Kiwi, YaST, OBS, and openQA. openSUSE's versatility makes it one of the best Linux operating systems for servers. In addition to server capabilities, openSUSE supports a pleasant desktop environment. For the most basic servers, openSUSE is also quite suitable, although somewhat redundant. Still not sure?

Oracle Linux

If you're feeling ambivalent when you read the words "Oracle Linux," you're not alone. The Oracle Linux system is a Linux distribution supplied by the technology giant Oracle. This system is available with two different kernels. One variant has a Red Hat Compatible Kernel (RHCK). This is the exact same kernel that is used in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) system. Oracle Linux System certified to work with a variety of equipment from manufacturers such as Lenovo, IBM and HP. To increase kernel security, Oracle Linux uses Ksplice technology. The system also includes support for Oracle containers, OpenStack, Linux and Docker. Oracle themes are used as brand symbols, including Oracle Penguin.

The system is supported by the manufacturer, but it is paid. Although, if Oracle Linux does not work in an enterprise environment, then the price for support is not set. If there is a need to deploy a public or private cloud, the Oracle Linux operating system also supports these technologies. On the other hand, you can try Oracle Linux if you just want an Oracle-branded Linux system.

For which users is it intended: Oracle Linux is best suited for data centers or for building clouds with OpenStack. Oracle Linux is best suited for the most experienced users of home or enterprise servers.

Container Linux (formerly CoreOS)

The CoreOS operating system changed its name to Container Linux in 2016. As the new name suggests, Container Linux is a Linux operating system released to provide containers. The system is focused on simplifying the container provisioning process. Container Linux is an excellent operating system for reliable, scalable use. Clustering container deployment is easy, and the distribution includes service discovery tools. It includes documentation and support for Kubernetes, Docker and rkt technologies.

The system does not include package management. All applications must run within containers, so containerization is a must. And if you work with containers, then Container Linux is the best operating system for servers in a cluster infrastructure. It provides an etcd daemon that runs on each computer in the cluster. In addition, a certain flexibility in installation is provided. In addition to local installation, Container Linux can be run in virtualization environments such as Azure, VMware, and Amazon EC2.

For which users is it intended: Container Linux is best suited for servers in a clustered infrastructure or container provisioning. This likely doesn't include the average home user. But with the official Docker logo for Plex lovers, Container Linux can run in any environment - from a basic home server to complex clusters. Use Container Linux if you are confident working with containers. Together with openSUSE, Container Linux is one of the best new and updated Linux operating systems to try.

The CentOS operating system provides a stable working environment. It is an open source variant of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) operating system. In this regard, CentOS provides an enterprise-grade server. This operating system from Red Hat uses the same source code as RHEL. CentOS includes the RPM package manager. In 2010, a review of sales data showed that approximately 30 percent of all Linux servers runs on CentOS. And there's a reason for that: it's a very robust server environment with support from Red Hat.

It should be noted that CentOS runs well on mainframes as well. For users who prefer GUI, KDE and GNOME are available on the system. CentOS can be used as a direct desktop operating system. Thanks to support from Red Hat and a growing user community, CentOS remains bug-free.

For which users is it intended: CentOS provides the functionality and stability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Therefore, it is ideal as a modern server operating system. If you need a free alternative to RHEL, you can use CentOS. However, it is also quite beginner-friendly thanks to its package manager. Overall, CentOS is the best free alternative to Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Many servers limit their power consumption. Reduced power consumption is a major benefit, especially for always-on machines. Therefore, Linux server operating systems must use small resources. Proper resource allocation is key to server uptime and efficiency. Many Linux distributions use fewer resources than their Windows or macOS counterparts. The Arch operating system is a simple, lightweight distribution that adheres to the KISS (Keep Things Simple) principle.

For this system in Arch Linux Wiki has a separate part related to servers. There you can find out everything related to configuring Arch Linux as a server operating system. While there is no dedicated, pre-built edition of the system for servers, this Wiki documentation describes all the steps to create your own server operating system. You can install popular server software including MySQL, Apache, Samba and PHP for Arch.

For which users is it intended: Arch Linux is a general-purpose Linux operating system for servers. It's ideal for turning an old PC into a server. But, despite its lightness, the Arch system is quite functional on more powerful hardware. Additionally, Arch Linux is best suited for users with a technical background as they will have to set up Arch as a server system.

Mageia is a Linux operating system that focuses on reliability and stability. This is a branch of Mandriva Linux that appeared in 2010. In 2012, PC World magazine praised Mageia, which today has already reached its fifth version. While there are many Linux operating systems, there is also a large list of Linux desktop environments. The Mageia system includes a whole group of user interfaces such as KDE, GNOME, Xfce and LXDE.

Instead of MySQL in Mageia includes MariaDB. Server-oriented elements such as 389 Directory Server and Kolab Groupware Server make Mageia the preeminent Linux operating system for servers.

For which users is it intended: Mageia is a trusted Linux operating system for servers. It includes tools such as MariaDB and Kolab Groupware Server. In addition, Mageia provides a reliable, secure environment. Users who require a GUI may also consider using Mageia due to its variety of desktop interfaces.

ClearOS is designed specifically for servers, gateways and network systems. The standard installation of the system provides enhanced security. It includes a network firewall, bandwidth management, mail server, and intrusion detection tools. ClearOS 7 Community Edition includes 75 apps and tools.

Although there are paid versions of ClearOS, the Community Edition remains free. Additionally, ClearOS updates from developers are also free, but such free updates are not tested.

For which users is it intended: ClearOS is a specialized Linux operating system for servers. Its rich set of applications makes ClearOS a distro aimed at Linux specialists. Linux enthusiasts and experts just need to request the applications they need. But for beginners it is better to choose other system distributions for servers.

The Slackware operating system has long been used as Linux for servers. The first release of this system appeared in 1993. According to the Slackware Linux website, the goal of this project is “a Linux distribution that resembles UNIX as closely as possible.” By default, Slackware provides a command line interface.

Full Slackware installation includes C and C++, X Windows system, mail server, web server, FTP server and news server. Moreover, Slackware is so lightweight that it can run on a Pentium platform. Continuing releases increase the stability and simplicity of the system.

For which users is it intended: Slackware Linux is best suited for seasoned Linux professionals. It has two package managers, pkgtools and slackpkg. But since Slackware runs a command line interface by default, it is most suitable as a Linux operating system for servers. Moreover, in its simplicity there is also a certain amount of complexity. To use Slackware, you must understand your operations in the Linux environment.

Gentoo is different from many Linux distributions. Instead of the traditional release model Gentoo uses a modular structure. That is, the user himself chooses what will be installed. This puts Gentoo at the top of the list of Linux server operating systems.

Each installation of this system is unique. Users can build a kernel that provides maximum control capabilities. Therefore, the server can control aspects such as memory consumption. Thanks to its modular structure and flexibility, Gentoo is becoming very popular among Linux professionals. System administrators appreciate Gentoo's approach to customizing the system according to their needs.

For which users is it intended: Gentoo is best suited for technical users and system administrators. While Gentoo can be used by beginners, it is less user-friendly than the average Ubuntu. However, the system has excellent documentation and its community is constantly evolving.

If you're looking for a fresh Linux operating system for servers, try Fedora. Maintained by Red Hat, the Fedora project receives regular updates. Developers are often involved in these updates. Fedora comes in a variety of flavors. The Workstation version is designed for regular users and comes with a desktop environment. By default, Fedora Workstation comes with the GNOME interface, but other user interfaces are available. The Fedora Server version, as the name suggests, is designed for servers.

As is already clear from the name itself, it is the main shell for the connecting link between the central software or hardware-software part of a local or global network and child client terminals. The understanding of this term has a broader interpretation, so it is worth dwelling on some theoretical and practical issues. At the very least, you need to understand the purpose of the server operating system, as well as some aspects of its installation and practical use. Users who believe that this issue relates exclusively to the prerogative of system administrators should immediately be given a little advice: do not be alarmed, you can do the installation and configuration yourself. These processes are not as complicated as they might seem at first glance. But first, you should take into account some theoretical information.

Server operating system: what is it?

Let's start with the very essence of this software. Actually, operating systems of this type are used exclusively in local or virtual networks, when there is a certain number of child terminals there.

The server room can be installed in two ways, but it has one functional purpose - to ensure the operation of common applications on the network and the interaction of connected terminals with each other. Accordingly, we are talking about user groups that have access rights to a particular tool, resource or document.

Features of building server operating systems

In terms of installing a server-type OS, you should take into account the scheme of connecting computers into a single network. This is the so-called network topology.

The optimal option is the “star” scheme and derivatives based on it. Here, thick technology can be used and when the installation of the server operating system will be carried out exclusively on the central computer, which ensures the operation of all other machines and the corresponding software when loading the OS over the network, or there is a partial installation of child OS components on network terminals. That's not the point.

The main and most basic purpose of the server operating system is precisely to ensure maximum performance of all machines on the network and installed software, plus full control in terms of administering local terminals and the entire network as a whole.

Even using modern online games requires installing the OS on a central server. Many may disagree with this statement, believing that you can go to the game website from your home terminal and use all the features. This is wrong. The fact is that the home computer is still connected to the game server, and the load in terms of using the computing capabilities of the local computer falls only partially on it (the main operations are still performed on the central server, and the game client can be partially downloaded to the machine, with which the access attempt is made).

Conditional rating

The ratings of server operating systems below should not be considered absolutely accurate. The problem is that some operating systems are already outdated and are used very infrequently, others are difficult to configure. In general, there are a huge number of criteria according to which the priorities in the list can easily be changed

However, among all existing operating systems the most popular are the following:

Free BSD.
Windows Server (NT-based families of Windows server operating systems, 2003, 2008 R2, 2012 and higher).
CentOS.
Debian.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Ubuntu Server.
Gentoo.
Fedora.
OS X Server.
OpebBSD.
Solaris.
HP-UX;.
AIX (IBM).
Netware (Novel).

It goes without saying that the first and last places are not established here, but only a list of the most popular server systems is given. Below, some of them will be discussed in a brief description of their capabilities, advantages and disadvantages.

Free BSD

Although this OS is a fairly popular system, it is nevertheless hopelessly outdated and losing global ratings in terms of use and performance.

The biggest problem is that too few software products have been developed for this OS in the form of commercial applications that could function on top of its platform. But an undoubted advantage is the ability to fine-tune the kernel and the availability of fairly powerful tools for working with memory, not to mention the input/output system.

CentOS

This server operating system is almost a complete analogue of Red Hat, but has expanded capabilities in terms of support.

Its advantage is that the system has a fairly fast package manager, as well as almost all hosting control panels.

Debian

This system is one of the branches of Linux. It is this OS that has become very widespread due to its versatility.

It is considered to be the most stable of all existing systems and in the installation package, along with KDE and GNOME, it also contains the office distribution kit LibreOffice. In addition, when installing this OS, you do not need to worry about installing additional audio and video codecs and decoders, since they are included in the package itself.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

You can't deny the popularity of this system. It can be used as a reliable corporate OS with all the ensuing consequences.

It is not surprising that even the majority of the world's exchanges use this particular system to organize the work of their applications. Here we can also mention financial structures, telecommunications companies, and animation studios. The only negative with all the advantages is the fairly high cost.

Ubuntu

Another variety of Linux (or rather, UNIX-like systems), which has firmly established itself in the ranking.

Although its use is mostly associated with home computers, it is believed that this OS is best suited for installing a home server (if the user has limited financial resources). In principle, this system is very similar to Debian, however, unlike its ancestor, in this system the source code has been slightly reworked.

Gentoo

Before us is another modification of Linux. This platform is interesting because it is based on the GNU license.

There are no problems with stability. But, as noted by many experts, the system suffers a little in terms of security. Even if LAMP is used, security holes are found in the system.

Solaris

Solaris is considered to be one of the most powerful server operating systems ever developed.

What can I say? One has only to look at its capabilities. This OS supports about 576 GB of physical RAM, about 4 billion network connections, can support one million simultaneously running services and processes, and also has an open network environment. And that's not all...

OpenBSD

This system, according to most experts, is the most secure. Perhaps its operating speed is not as high as that of other modifications of Linux or UNIX, but if you learn how to use it, many will find it a very interesting solution, even in comparison with the most popular Windows systems.

Installation looks a little complicated, use and configuration too. But provided that the user is at least somewhat familiar with operating systems of this type, using the command line should not be particularly difficult.

Windows Server (2008 R2)

Finally, let's look at Windows server operating systems. Oddly enough, despite the popularity of desktop versions, these solutions are not particularly widespread in the world. The most basic problem is that Windows server operating systems, starting with the NT modification, do not have the necessary security features.

And this is recognized by all specialists in the field of administering systems of this type. For example, an antivirus for the Windows 7 server operating system must be installed. In connection with the latest hacker attacks, which were aimed mainly at computers using the seventh version of Windows (not to mention how long it took to install various kinds of updates that were supposed to prevent the virus from acting), the same built-in Defender service (or Microsoft Essentials) simply cannot cope with its responsibilities.

Administration of Windows server operating systems is, of course, terribly simplified. For example, you don't need to be an all-knowing system administrator to reassign IP, change or Proxy, establish a connection to a child terminal based on network download or by monitoring activity through an RDP client. Sometimes it is enough to even launch the built-in network connection diagnostic tool, after which a notification about a problem or error will be issued, if there are any in the system.

As for the rest, regarding troubleshooting tools, for example, on the server itself, you can use the command console with clearing the DNS cache or resetting the general IP configuration parameters.

For example, commands entered into the console might look like this:

ipconfig/flushdns,
ipconfig/registerdns,
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig/release.

Note: a command line with commands of this type works equally well to resolve problems on child user PCs and on servers.

What's the result?

As a main conclusion, we can only note that, alas, Windows systems and most of the developments created by Microsoft, in comparison with UNIX systems and the Linux variations that are based on them, are clearly inferior. The same FreeBSD OS is much more flexible in installation and configuration, not to mention the fact that it is most fully protected in the form of an open source modification that anyone can change or modify. Actually, the question itself arises: “What to prefer?” I don’t want to give any advice, but fundamentally, for organizing local networks using a central server, it is better to give preference to a UNIX-based OS (Linux) rather than Windows. It’s cheaper, easier, and safer. True, to users who are accustomed to the interface, this shell may seem, to put it mildly, not entirely clear. Nevertheless, understanding the interface will not be difficult. But you’ll have to tinker a little with the settings (what could we do without it?).

In turn, it should be noted that not all modern operating systems meet the requirements of today, although they have quite good potential for development and modernization. This primarily concerns FreeBSD, which, unfortunately, is not destined to develop, despite all the advantages. The developers simply put an end to it. But other systems are not lagging behind. So, in the near future we can even expect an updated version of Windows 10, which already combines the functionality of both the desktop and server models (after standard installation, the server can be configured quite simply). You don't even have to install additional clients. It is enough to use one of the components in the OS itself and in the BIOS settings (the same Hyper-V module for creating a virtual machine). With it, in terms of resource distribution between connected terminals, the server OS simply “flies”.

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