Hosting with Unix - How to Make Unix Hosting Work
The UNIX operating system and the client server models were essential for the development of the internet and the movement from individual computers to network based computing. For the majority of the public UNIX is referred to as “the most important operating system you may never use.”
On the other hand, programmers find that UNIX is cheaper to develop and web hosting plans for UNIX have lower rates. Many programmers claim that the expensive licenses combined with the high rates of Windows based web hosting makes it the better option. Microsoft counters this argument with claims that the time spent maintaining and developing UNIX code offsets any possible advantages you may appear to gain.
UNIX is what can be considered an open source. This means that anyone can look at, download, modify, or distribute the code. In the event of a flaw anyone that recognizes it can write a patch for the problem and post it online. When dealing with a code that is not open to all like Windows, the solution to a problem or flaw can only be fixed and distributed by Microsoft. This can sometimes be a considerable time difference.
Not only does the open source give you the ability to do whatever you want with the code, UNIX is also known for its stability and security. Also the command line interface does its best not to use a lot of system resources so it is very possible to run multiple programs at once with a limited amount of RAM.
UNIX does have its share of downfalls. Windows makes its name by having a good user interface. It successfully guides users though every step of whatever process is being done. UNIX on the other hand relies on commands put in by the users. This is why it favors users that are more knowledgeable.
Also, due to the popularity of Windows, most programmers prefer to write software that will cater to the most users. This means that software for the vastly less popular UNIX can be hard to find.
The majority of UNIX web hosting based web servers are written in PHP, which is a server-side scripting language, or a system that runs on the server instead of the user’s computer. PHP is used to create dynamic web pages, and is most commonly seen written into HTML code on a web page. The script is then read by the server, and content is generated, because content generation is the most popular use for PHP.
Behind Java and C, PHP is arguably the third most popular programming language. PHP is also considered to be open source, so its code can also be accessed by anyone.
Probably the most undervalued advantage to both UNIX and PHP is that they open source allows them to be constantly evolving because everyone can look at the code and make improvements. This will allow UNIX and PHP to adapt and move on into the future.
Todd is staff writer for GDO Web Hosting offering high quality web hosting with dilligent customer support service and high uptime. For more information on the services they offer, please visit www.gdohosting.com