As we all know, a stable and efficient server space is indispensable for the normal operation of a website, and many novice webmasters will face the problem of choosing an operating system. In the face of a wide range of system environments, which is the most appropriate?
Domestic ECS can choose Windows and Linux operating systems, and the price is basically the same; There are two situations for foreign server providers. Some servers offer two options: Windows and Linux. However, if you choose Windows, the price will be much higher. Another situation is that many mature servers simply provide Linux.
Why does this happen? The main reason is that copyrights are charged for genuine Windows operating systems. At present, Microsoft is not so strict about the review of the Windows operating system installed on our servers in China, but for foreign host companies, the copyright fee for their use of Windows is really high, so many host companies simply provide free and open source Linux systems.
After talking about the cost performance ratio (only applicable to foreign hosts), let's talk about the main differences in other aspects.
Demand
The main difference between Windows and Linux systems lies in their application and development technologies. If your website is developed by ASP, ASP.net systems, and you also need to run matching mssql or Access databases, you must use the Win host;
But if your website uses PHP language and the supporting mymql database, then the most ideal system is Linux. And if you choose a foreign host company, there will be more system environment categories, and the choice is far greater than that of Windows host.
Careful friends may have noticed the remark of Toshio: the best thing is to use Linux system, rather than having to use Linux system. This is because based on the good compatibility of Microsoft system, we can still install the corresponding environment package to run the PHP website and MYSQL database after selecting the Windows host.
So since the Windows host can also run the PHP environment, is it necessary to choose Linux? This is about stability.
Stability
For small traffic websites, especially those with pure static HTML files, there is not much difference between Windows and LINUX. However, if you want to operate a site that can bring long-term benefits, the same work should be carried out by a more professional system.
If you choose PHP+MYSQL configuration for your website, you'd better use Linux system for the following reasons:
First of all, in terms of system resource occupancy, Windows graphical interface needs more resources, and Linux itself is a professional network operating system without graphical interface;
Secondly, when Windows configures some system environments, it usually needs to restart the system, which leads to the inevitable temporary offline of the website. However, changes to the Linux system configuration can be directly operated during the system operation, and will not affect other unrelated services. The author's ECS on AliCloud has not been restarted for more than a year.
Thirdly, in terms of system composition, Windows is actually a pseudo multi-user operating system, while Linux is a real multi-user and multi process operating system, which means that Linux can handle a large number of running processes at one time, which is much more than Windows can handle, and it is better at program stability.
Safety
As the carrier of website operation, the security of server environment directly affects the security of website. The Windows operating system is a closed system, and its various vulnerability patches update slowly. Linux's open source approach enables it to expose bugs more quickly, and then gather the wisdom of everyone to solve the corresponding problems. Various patches are updated quickly, which is an advantage that the WIN system does not have.
However, Linux system also has its own fatal shortcomings. Due to the global popularity, the hardware and related drivers developed by various manufacturers generally give priority to Windows system, which makes the hardware compatibility of Linux relatively late and may cause more security risks.
Usability
Thanks to the popularity of Windows, almost everyone can use the WIN system, so the advantages of the WIN host are self-evident in the ease of use of the server system. However, due to the lack of graphical interface, all operations of Linux system must rely on corresponding instructions, similar to the earliest DOS system. Of course, there are also many mature virtual machine panels for Linux systems, such as AMH, which makes it easier to establish and maintain websites on Linux. However, some underlying operations also rely on a series of commands, which will be quite complex for newcomers.
To sum up, the choice of operating system is mainly based on the language type of your website. But if you choose a website system in PHP language, such as the CMS system that webmasters love most, I still suggest you spend more time studying the relevant knowledge points of Linux system. It is not as complicated as expected.
