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Best option for a clean server install?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 3:27 pm
by smudge
If I wanted to format the harddrives in my server and start over from scratch, what is the best OS to go with.
I don't want to spend any money on this, so options are windows 2000 pro and some kind of free linux distro.
I want something that is familiar or at least easy to learn.
What do you suggest?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:20 pm
by s.dot
Ubuntu with KDE or GNOME is very user friendly.

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:24 pm
by VladSun
Are you familiar with DOS ;)
Then Debian without windows manager! :)

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:58 pm
by smudge
Fortunately, I already have ubuntu feisty fawn with gnome, and it is indeed user friendly. How is it for a server? I just want something as a development platform.
~VladSun: Fairly familiar with DOS (I can cd, dir, and fdisk! :)), and next to no experience with the linux shell, but I prefer a window manager..

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:45 pm
by s.dot
FreeBSD is a very good OS for a server platform (the best in my experience with redhat, centos, and freebsd). The installation isn't too bad, either.

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:49 pm
by wei
One suggestion: install a virtual machine using say, MS Virtual Server, or the VMWare server (both free). Download the Debian net install (only a 50mb ISO). Practise installing debian from that net install (it is quite easy to do). The resulting install is a near minimal debian system. Now, backup the current virtual disk. Then install a ssh server on the virtual machine. SSH into the machine, install the necessary server tools, e.g. apache, etc.

Virtual machines are great tool to practise server admin.

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:28 am
by RobertGonzalez
Ubuntu is a very user friendly distro for desktops. I think for servers, Fedora Core might be a better choice. But that is me. I have Fedora Core installed on several servers and I love it.