PHP && Apache && mySQL && (Unix || Linux)

Elliotts

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Good Afternoon!!

I have a general question that I believe has a myriad of answers. Should I use Unix or Linux to run a web server? And if you say Unix, then what type of Unix should I run. If you say Linux, then what flavor of Linux should I run?

The web server will be small, probably around 200 individual hits a day. I have no UNIX or LINUX experience but am very familiar with programming.

Secondly, are there any hardware specs that I need to be aware of, such as a specific type of NIC card that will or will not be compatible with UNIX or LINUX.

I realize there are many opinions out there and I'm not looking for a specific answer but I want to hear some pros and cons of choosing different OSes. Also it's good to hear people's opinions.

Thank you all!!!

PHPdev

From what I understand FreeBSD UNIX has the STRONGEST TCP/IP Stack. Meaning the network portion of the OS is very robust. I dont think you need this for your first *NIX box, or for the amount of hits you expect.

If you have never used a *NIX before, the I would recommend something like RedHat or Mandrake. Mandrake has a nice instalation interface, and is fairly easy to use. Most flavors of LINUX have some GUI interface, which is great to start with, but try and learn the command line. It is a little tough when you first start out, but after a while you will not use anything else. Especially if you can not sit at your server to manage it.

Mandrake has a compatable hadware list, as do most LINUX compnaies. http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/hardware.php3 - here is the link to Mandrakes Hardware Database.

These are just my optionions... and I may be bias because this is how I started...

PHPdev