What is a good distribution of Linux to run a server?

If it’s for home or a small business or home office server where you want to do your AMP development, Amahi is a good choice: http://www.amahi.org

It’s more of a managed server than a distro proper. It’s a new way, however, you can have your own webapps easily. Much more so than a base distro where you have to do your virtual host, optional dns entry, etc. Amahi does it all in one shot for you. You can also package your app for the rest of Amahi users.

You still need to download the Fedora DVD (at this moment it’s based on Fedora 12). That’s widely available. You can order individual DVDs from various sources or if you can’t afford it get one from the Fedora Free media program:

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Distribution/OnlineVendors

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Distribution/LocalVendors

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Distribution/FreeMedia

Amahi is downloaded while Fedora installs.

HTH!

Well, I have this idea for a web site that I want to develop. I just downloaded PHP for Windows, and I’ll download MySQL next, and I will start development on that. But at some pont, I may shift development onto a Linux box because I want to use it on an environment as close to the server it will ultimately run on. I’m also undecided whether I want to get a static IP from my ISP and run it myself, or pay a hosting service. If I run it myself, I’ll just stash the Linux box in my closet and let it hum away. I’ll be the only one using it, so there’ll be no users (except for the users to use my web site).

And Fluther scrambled my question blurb after I posted it. Grrrr! Here’s what I said:
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I would like it to come with AMP (Apache, MySQL, and PHP) on the distribution. I’ve been looking at various Linux Server Editions, but they’re all over 700 MB. Even on a high-speed connection, that’s going to take forever to download! I looked at Ubuntu server edition, they’ll either sell me 100 CDs for $80, or send me a free one. I’m willing to pay a reasonable fee for a single CD, but $80 is prohibitively expensive, IMO.

Talk to a member of your local ubuntu users group. They hand out free install CD’s like candy.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoTeamList

I’d recommend either Debian or Ubuntu. To choose, you should basically ask yourself if you need the latest and greatest version. If you’d rather have software that’s better tested, more stable, but not newer, I’d recommend Debian. If you want something a bit more cutting edge, then I’d recommend Ubuntu.

Both of these have a net install option which is basically just a 10 MB download that has just enough to download the other packages you need. You’ll still have to download stuff, but at least you only have to download the packages you need. Note that in the case of Ubuntu, the net install images are a bit hard to find (ie not on the main page): link.

@amnorvend – Thanks! Since I may be using it as a web server, I’d rather have a stable system than the latest and greatest. I went to Ubuntu.com yesterday and asked them to send me a free server CD by snail-mail in 6 to 10 weeks (I’d have been willing to pay for it to get it sooner, but my options were a single free CD or 100 CDs for $80). I’ll go now and see if Debian has a similar deal… I’d spent all last night downloading PHP and MySQL for various environments.

On-Disk .com ships free CDs. You still have to pay shipping costs, but maybe it’ll be faster.

My free Ubuntu 9.10 Server Edition CD came today. But I also ordered what I thought was a Linux manual, but it was Debian Linux on 4 DVDs. On top of that, I received Debian on 31 CDs that I purchased on the cheap. So I’m confused. Why is the server edition on a single CD, but the “regular” edition on a gazillion CDs? Again, my purpose is to run a web server, so am I better off installing Ubuntu Server edition, or the regular edition with all the stuff on all those CDs? Really, I’m only interested in LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP)...

I don’t get it – the Server Edition CD is just one CD right? Just use that. I don’t know why you got the Debian DVD’s additionally, but if that’s supposed to be a Linux manual then that’s not what you want to use, I guess.

Yes! The Server Edition came on just one CD. But the regular edition came on a gazillion CDs. So I’m confused which one is better.

And yes, I thought I had ordered a book, but I got a box of DVDs.

So now I have all these variations of Linux, and no manual on any of them to help me decide which one I want to install. Oh, I’m sure there’s electronic manuals on the disks, but I have to install each of them first to look at the respective manuals :-/

I just want to install a basic web server with Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP so I can develop my web site, and then at some point, either host it myself or pay a hosting service to host it for me…

What is “regular edition”? Normal Ubuntu comes on a single Desktop CD. Debian, a different variation of Linux might very well come on a lot of CDs that include a lot of software that you can also install, whereas Ubuntu expects you to download anything you need additionally afterwards.

So, to sum it up: just use the Ubuntu Server Edition. :)

@Vincentt – I’m not sure. I’m new to Linux. I haven’t even installed it yet. I have to move some stuff around on my machines to wipe the HD on one and install it. That’ll happen when I get around to it some weekend…

Here’s what I have:

1. A CD labelled UBUNTU 9.10 SERVER EDITION. It’s actually pretty fancy…the slip case and CD are full-color printed like a professional product.

2. Debian 5.0.3 Disk 1 Install, Debian 5.0.3 Disk 2 Install, Debian 5.0.3 Disk 3 Install, ... Debian 5.0.3 Disk 31 Install (I need a forklift to carry all these Linux CDs around my living room) Now, if this distro will save me from having to download a ton of stuff, I’m inclined to install this one…

3. Debian Linux 5, 4 DVD set in a traditional DVD case. Contains: (1) Debian 5 32-bit, (2) Debian 5 64-bit (don’t need this because all my machines use Intel chips), (3) Linux Library, and (4) Brief Intro to Linux. (This is the one I thought I was buying a tutorial book when I ordered it from Amazon.com)

OK, first off: Linux is the name of the core of the system – like, the minimum needed to be able to run your computer. That’s not of much use by itself – you need a lot of tools (e.g. to copy files, etc.) and you might want a graphical environment, i.e. somewhere you can point and click to run stuff, like Firefox. These things are often packaged together in distributions – this is what Ubuntu is. Debian is another distribution. Thus, you want one or the other.

I’m not too familiar with Debian, but when it includes 31 disks I suppose that’s because it contains a huge amount of software, trying to fit in everything you ever might want to install. I suppose the DVD’s contain about the same – on a DVD just fits a lot more than on a CD.

I’d still go with the fancy Ubuntu CD, as that will certainly contain everything needed to set up a basic LAMP server, and then some. I suppose it’ll include documentation as well to set it up. If not on there, it at least is over here: https://help.ubuntu.com/9.10/serverguide/C/index.html

I don’t suppose it’s easy, but at least the documentation is there so you should be able to set it up if you’re willing to learn :)

@Vincentt – Thanks for the advice! Like I said, I’m a programmer in my day job, so I’m not afraid to crack a manual and configure systems.

And yes, all I want is to set up a LAMP server, and if the Ubuntu CD contains everything I need, I’d rather use that than feeding 31 Debian disks into a CD drive (though feeding 31 disks beats downloading stuff)...

For a server, I don’t care about a graphical environment. Rather, I want it as lean as possible (that’s why I’m bothering with Linux instead of taking the easy road and getting Windoze Server). Though I’d prefer a text editor that’s more like SPF (or at least Notepad), than vi.

So okay. I’ll take your advice and load Ubuntu and take it from there :-)

I don’t suppose I can install Ubuntu, and then install utilities off the Debian disks, eh?

Haha, I don’t know SPF, but for command line editors I believe Nano is more Notepadish. And if you have a GUI you’ll have plenty of fine text editors.

A lot of the Debian applications might actually work on Ubuntu (because it’s based on Debian), but you definitely can’t count on that. However, I think you’ll be just fine with the Ubuntu CD. And if it’s the hassle that you’re not looking forward to, then it will mostly be done automatically, if you do need to download stuff.

@Vincentt – SPF is a programmer’s editor. It’s mainly used on mainframe MVS/TSO systems. Though I have a version that runs under Windows. Notepad isn’t really ideal for editing code, but it’s a world better than vi. So Nano you say? I’ll look into it after I get around to installing Ubuntu.

@HungryGuy – I’m sure you’ve already know about this, but for the sake of completeness, I feel it necessary to point out that emacs is a decent choice for a command-line editor. There’s a learning curve, but I like it for its extensibility.

@amnorvend – Thanks! I’ve heard of emacs, but know nothing about it. I’ll certainly try all the editors available (except, of course, vi. I HATE vi!). I’ve used nano on unix systems before, and it’s simple and easy to use, but it’s not really a programmer’s editor. I’d really like to find something similar to SPF (which is an obscure editor that’s common on IBM mainframe MVS/TSO systems) for editing code and scripts.