Although Windows is the most widely used desktop operating system, when we are going to set up a server, either in our own home or in the cloud, Linux gains a special appeal. This system offers better performance, greater stability and maximum security when mounting a server. It also usually comes with a large number of programs and services installed by default, and most of the alternatives are completely free. The only problem we can find is choosing the Linux distro we want to use. And, therefore, below we are going to leave you the best ones.
Just as most Linux desktop distros are similar, so are server distros . Broadly speaking, they will all work more or less the same, so, unless we have special needs that only a specific distro can cover us, most of the time we choose between one or the other for personal preferences. If we like Ubuntu, for example, for a server we will choose Ubuntu Server. If we hate it, we will look for any alternative to it.
We are going to see which are the main Linux distros designed to work on a server . In addition, we will analyze the advantages, or disadvantages, of using each of them.
Ubuntu Server, the best known and familiar Linux distro
Ubuntu is the best known and most used Linux distribution on the desktop. For this reason, this distro has one of the largest communities that we can find on the web, being able to help us, literally, with any problem we may have and providing us with all kinds of support. If we do not want complications, Ubuntu Server is the most familiar option that we can choose.
Canonical, the company responsible for Ubuntu, releases new versions of the Server distro every two years. These versions come with LTS support, which allows us to forget about changing the version for 5 years, since, during that period, we will have support and security patches.
We can download Ubuntu Server for free from this link . In addition, Canonical has its own cloud and, for a fee, takes care of setting up and maintaining our own cloud managed with BootStack.
CentOS, the option based on Red Hat Enterprise
Red Hat Enterprise is one of the most popular commercial Linux distributions, especially because it has a company, like Red Hat, behind it providing all kinds of support. However, there are many users who cannot afford to pay Red Hat to use this Linux, and that brings us to the alternatives developed and maintained by the community. In the case of desktop we have Fedora, and in the case of server we have CentOS.
CentOS is a community-maintained Red Hat-based server distribution. Among its main features we can highlight that it is a much smaller system than other distros, so each administrator can configure it according to their needs, avoiding having unnecessary packages installed as standard. Its two strengths are stability and extended support that allows us to use the distro without having to change versions for many years. In addition, it offers a disaster recovery system through clusters and is ready to use the latest technologies, such as container virtualization.
We can download CentOS from the following link .
Arch Linux, for those seeking maximum minimalism
If we already have extensive knowledge of Linux systems, and want to experiment with the best of the best, then without a doubt we should think about installing Arch Linux on our server. Arch is one of the simplest and lightest distros that we can find, both for desktop and server. However, it is also one of the most complicated to set up and configure.
Arch Linux installation is totally personalized, that is, starting from the kernel we must choose the other packages that we want to install. In this way, we will be able to install only the packages and services we need, leaving everything else without installing, thus reducing the number of unnecessary packages. This distro is committed to a Rolling Release update model, so we will always be up to date by installing normal updates. Once Arch Linux is installed for the first time we will never have to reinstall it.
We can download Arch Linux from its website .
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, the server distro with the best professional support
If what interests us above all is to have professional technical support always available, SLES is one of the best distros in this regard. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is a distro based on OpenSUSE but prepared to provide users with the best possible stability and performance. In addition, SLES offers us a 24 × 7 fast response support that will help us solve practically any problem we may have in the shortest possible time. If we need a system that works, simple and prepared for any failure, SLES is the solution.
We can download SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for free from the following link .
Debian, the Linux distro for everything
Debian is one of the best Linux distributions that we can find. It is one of the purest, which offers the best performance and stability and the one that offers the best support and free community to users. With more than 20 years of development behind it, and dozens of distros based on it (including Ubuntu), Debian can satisfy absolutely all the needs of any user.
While it is true that Debian is often referred to as Linux for the desktop, it can actually function perfectly as a server as well. A perfect distro for those looking for balance without having to pay seniors for professional support. We can install Debian from an image of only 30 megabytes, being able to choose all the packages we want, as in most of the specialized server distros.
We can download Debian from here . Of course, if we are going to use it on a server, where stability prevails, we must make sure to download the “Stable” branch, not any of the other development branches.
Raspberry Pi OS Lite, to turn the RPi into a Linux server
Not all of us will have a complete computer to use as a server. But surely most of us have a Raspberry Pi at home, or we can buy it. Raspberry Pi OS Lite is a Linux distribution, based on Debian, specially created to run on this micro-computer. Furthermore, the “Lite” version is a reduced version that only comes with the essential packages and a terminal so that the users themselves can just update it.
This distro is maintained directly by Raspberry Pi, who takes Debian updates and patches, its base. Therefore, we will have a fully functional system ready for any task. More than 99% of the services and programs work perfectly on this system, and we will not have architectural problems even though the Raspberry Pi uses an ARM processor.
We can download Raspberry Pi OS Lite from its main web page .