When someone decides to look for hosting solutions, it instantly becomes apparent that there are a number of different choices to consider. The best minds in the industry usually suggest people go with solutions that involve hosting on Linux. However, people often find themselves wondering what the next step will be. After choosing a Linux server, what can one actually do with it? The short answer is that the versatility of Linux lends itself to allowing people to do almost anything they want. Because Linux is designed for flexibility, it can be used for almost any imaginable web based activity.
There are, however, quite a few areas which have proven themselves to be particularly attractive. The first thing that most people do with a Linux server is install and configure an HTTP server program known as Apache. When one loads a webpage, Apache handles the actual exchange of information between the web browser and the server hosting the content. In a sense, one can think of the server as a boat and Apache as the captain who decides just how to navigate around the stream of data. One of the strong points for choosing Linux is how it can communicate with Apache, or any other program which provides a continually running service. Assuming that there is an SSH server present within the Linux server, one can simply connect to it using a simple command from any available computer. Once that's done, starting, stopping, or getting information from Apache is simply a matter of giving the Linux server a simple command. While this can seem a little intimidating at first, the vocabulary and syntax one uses to communicate with a Linux server can usually be mastered fairly quickly. For the most part, actual words, such as start, stop, restart and other similar phrases are used in order to tell the server what to do. The individual parts of a Linux server are complex, but this means that they can be easily used to create something huge with only a small amount of effort.
While there are a lot of benefits to Linux, most people find the biggest benefit in the system's stability. Because of how Linux was created, it has always had stability as one of the core design principles. Other operating systems have always needed to lean in the favor of new features over adherence to basic principles of system architecture. However, Linux has a small army of developers constantly working on the features which they personally find important. This ensures that there will always be people working, full time, to contribute new code to keep Linux running in the most stable way possible.
If you're just starting out, it's always best to start with the option which will give you the most value for your dollar. With Linux, one gets high performance without the additional costs incurred by the competitors. Additionally, Linux has factors inhrent to it which enure that the cost of upkeep will be lower than the alternatives. Linux's more robust security model, for example, ensures one won't need additional security software. Once one has had a chance to get used to hosting sites, the reasons to stick with Linux become obvious. Linux is the standard for web development these days. If software is aimed at the Web, it's a certainty that Linux will be the main platform of choice.