Tag: PC

Choose The Right Linux Distribution For Smart Computing

blogger /

Linux is one of the most popular operating systems out there after the Windows family. What sets Linux distinctly apart from others is the fact that you can download it for free. Unlike Windows operating systems which come with a hefty price tag, Linux does not cost absolutely anything and Linux setup is quite easy. Even you dont need to use any virus remover as there is very little or no chance of virus infection.

For beginners, it can be quite daunting to decide which distribution would be best for them. This is because there is a plethora of Linux distributions out there from which you can choose from – Ubuntu, Red Hat, Fedora, Mandriva, Opensuse, and so on. Each distribution, or distro, has its own strengths and features unique to it.

The first and foremost concern that you should consider is your hardware. All Linux distros are not built the same. Although most Linux distros try to be as hardware friendly as possible, you might discover that some work better with your hardware than others. So the best way to decide which distro would be right for you is to try out a handful of the most popular distros and see for yourself as to which of them work the best on your hardware. You will discover that some distros will detect all your hardware and work flawlessly, while others may not even boot on your PC or laptop.

The next thing you should consider is codec availability. Some popular distros like Ubuntu and Fedora do not ship with any kind of codecs to play common files like your mp3s or high-definition videos. There are distros based on these very distros that are more usable and ship with support for all of your audio and video files. Linux Mint, based on Ubuntu, is one such distro.

Ubuntu is probably the most popular and widely used Linux operating system that there is. It is based on Debian, another huge distribution with a very loyal fan following. Ubuntu also has one of the largest communities out there and you are more likely to find help on anything related to Ubuntu than any other distro. This is one of the great advantages of using Ubuntu or anything based on it, such as Linux mint. You will find it easy to look for help online should you get stuck with anything.

Fedora, sponsored by the Linux giant red hat, is also quite popular among Linux users. Like Ubuntu, it cannot come with any codecs pre-installed due to patent issues. Not all software companies allow Linux distributions to pre-install their proprietary software. For example, Microsoft license does not allow Linux distributions to contain programs like internet explorer or windows media player codecs. Similarly, popular Linux distros like Fedora, Opensuse and Ubuntu cannot ship flash, java, and other such proprietary software. If this is a concern for you, then download distros like Linux mint or PcLinuxOS, which come with all these necessary programs pre-installed.

So if you have really decided to move on to Linux, just take the plunge and set up Linux on your PC. You will not regret the freedom and liberty that Linux comes with.

How Do I Decide On Linux Or Windows.

blogger /

One of the first things you often have to consider is what operating system should you choose to host your website. There are a number of different choices out there but the main two are Linux web hosting and Windows web hosting. Depending on which operating system to go with depends on your needs.

This article is going to offer information for those trying to decide which hosting platform to go with. It would help you understand your need and choose the right hosting platform to best suit your needs.

Linux is one of the more popular operating systems on the Web, mostly because it is easy to install and get running. Windows is another popular operating system for Web hosting providers because it has a lot of support. Linux and Windows are the two most common and readily available operating systems, and there are many good reasons for using both.

The majority of web features run fine on both platforms including PHP, mySQL, POP3 etc. Both Windows and Linux servers will serve HTML pages and JavaScript. Consider the tools and scripting languages you plan to use to make your website. If you use PHP, Perl or MySQL, Linux is the way forward. If you need to support Microsoft products such as ASP, ASP.NET, MS Access, or VBScript, then Windows hosting would be better. Furthermore, if you are comfortable with IIS and do not have the time to understand how UNIX works, Windows hosting would again be a better choice. Also if you’re going to run a dynamically driven Web site, then you’ll want a database. The two most popular are MySQL and Access. MySQL runs on both Linux and Windows, but is more often found on Linux servers. SQL Server (MS SQL) or Access database is only available for Windows.

There are some things to remember. First of all, just because you use Windows at home on your desktop PC does not mean you should use Windows web hosting. The two are completely different, and having a Windows system at home will not affect your ability to communicate with a Linux server. Secondly, Linux is much more common with web hosts due to its superior stability. Linux hosting is usually cheaper than Windows. Just because it is cheaper does not mean it’s not as good – Linux is an excellent product too.

The reliability and stability is very important to your Web host and have been the topic argued on. The main reason that Windows is seen as being insecure is that it is the most widely used operating system for home PC’s. People spend more time looking for flaws in the most common system. With Linux being the most common server type, it has a surprising number of successful hack attempts made on it. In the end the security of both platforms is more important at the hosting services administration level than it is at the operating system level. If you have good administrators, your server will be more secure – regardless of operating system. If you are security minded then you’ll do better to make sure that the hosting company is reputable and highly skilled than to worry about the server they use.

Both the types of hosting offer the same level of proficiency. So when choosing a hosting server you find one that has the options/features you want for running of your website, rather than worrying about what operating system they are running on the back end.