Generally, the default OS for a web server is a Unix or Linux version. There are financial and practical reasons why it is the OS for web hosting services. For one thing, Linux is a free and open-source OS, which around 70% of web servers run on. Ubuntu, Red Hat Linux and CentOS are among the commonly-used Linux distributions. It is possible to run applications accessible for a Linux distribution with other distributions, although there are certain exceptions to it.
Is Linux Web Hosting More Difficult To Use?
Are you concerned about your capability of working with a hosting plan based on Linux? If so, just remember that almost every web hosting service loads the server with a user-friendly Linux distribution, like Ubuntu.
The settings and services that you seek might be somewhere else, but you might look forward to having high-level usage patterns and high-level privileges from a Windows or Mac server. A few Linux distributions may be closer to Apple macOS, but others are more proximate to Windows. That said, when choosing between Linux and Windows for a more specialized purpose, like running Windows web apps, Windows would be your best website hosting option.
Control Panels
A graphical user interface (GUI), like Plesk or cPanel, is a control panel that simplifies working with a server instance or server. According to the OS, you have slightly different control panel options; for instance, some are accessible only to Windows users, whereas others are available only on Linux.
Are you familiar with a particular option as well as planning to switch operating systems? If so, consider checking for OS compatibility if you are not open to selecting a new server cPanel.
Server OS And Personal OS – Do Those Have To Match?
These two operating system types need not match, although it depends on your specific circumstance. Here, we will look at some areas in which it is perhaps important.
File Compatibility
You could generally transfer files between a computer that runs on one OS and a server with a different OS if both systems can read that file format. In the case of your site, there should be that compatibility for almost all your files - HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and PHP. Moreover, while the popularly utilized LAMP stack may bundle a Linux distribution with PHP, it is useable elsewhere.
Cross-Platform Tools
Do you use a tool that you should run locally and on your web server? If so, it may be a cross-platform product, meaning one that can run on more than one operating system, including Windows, the more prevalent Linux distributions, and macOS.