There are several reasons why Linux is the most popular Web hosting platform, running upwards of 80% of the world’s Web servers. For one, it’s free. And being open-source, developers and programmers are able to revise the operating system’s code to tailor-fit their needs. Linux is also lighter, in terms of application overhead, compared to other operating systems like Windows, which comes pre-packaged and pre-installed with a lot of bulk, most of which is not needed in a server environment. The only drawback of using Linux is that the “free” versions usually do not come with extensive vendor support. However, Linux users can actually get support from the community of other Linux administrators, users, and enthusiasts, or from distributors, by paying some sort of support fee.

Freedom: Linux comes in many flavors or distributions, because essentially, the “Linux” code itself is only on the kernel or core of the software. The Linux operating systems, on the other hand, are built by their respective authors to work with the kernel in running applications and hardware.

Linux is “free,” in that developers usually allow download and distribution for free, as opposed to Windows users having to purchase licenses for their installations. Linux is also “free,” with regard to freedom to manipulate and build on the software. Since it is open-source, the operating system’s code is available for anyone to read, analyze, manipulate, and use for his own needs. It is because of this freedom that development and updates for the various Linux flavors have fast turnaround times, with millions of developers and programmers around the world building on various areas of the operating system.

Security: There are virtually no viruses that affect Linux systems. Hence, Linux systems can run for months, even years, on end without the need for human intervention. And it is for this reason that Linux is the preferred server platform of choice among system administrators.

Flexibility: Linux allows for flexibility in the installed software base. Hence, one has the option of installing a “server” edition, which is free from the bulk associated with extra applications and a graphical user interface. Server-mode installations require relatively less space and less hardware resources to run. Hence, such an installation is able to maximize the use of processing and memory resources, which are not eaten up by superfluous applications running in the background.

Applications: Linux-based Web usually run the popular LAMP platform, short for Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. These are all free and open-source applications readily available for download over the Internet. Apache is the world’s most popular Web server, running 75% of Web servers worldwide. MySQL is a free, relational database management system. PHP, meanwhile, is a hypertext preprocessor that allows web developers to create dynamic websites. These three applications are well-documented, light on disc space, and are relatively easy to install. There are also Windows variants of the three, so the platform is actually independent of Linux.

For shared hosting solutions, Linux-based hosts run the CPanel Web-based control panel. This application can manage domains, files, applications, databases, and accounts through a secure Web interface. This software is also powerful enough to automate processes like hosting and domain transfers, and the like, and is favored by developers and owners of webhosting services.

Linux-based webhosting services are usually less expensive than Windows-based hosting, because of lower licensing and maintenance costs. It is also the preferred platform for clients who will not need Microsoft-specific server-side applications and databases, which may be more suited to Windows-based servers. The LAMP architecture is more attuned to lighter, faster and less-complicated Web services.