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Don't Make My
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What Is Web
Hosting
The URL & How It Works
Storage &
Transfer Explained
How to Choose a Hosting Plan
General Considerations
Linux vs Windows Hosting
Starting an Online Business
Getting Started: Keyword Research
Choosing Your Domain Name
Purchasing a Domain Name
Who Owns Your Domain Name?
Building Your Web Site
Track Your Website Traffic
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The Difference Between
Linux and Windows Hosting Plans
By Vernon Sandel
People new to web site
hosting are often confused as to whether they need Windows hosting or
whether the lower cost Linux hosting plans are adequate for their web
sites. The difference between Linux and Windows hosting plans is noted,
and the type of web sites which require Windows hosting are identified.
The difference between
a Linux and a Windows web hosting plan is the operating system running
on the host’s servers. Linux hosting plans run on a server with the UNIX
based Linux operating system whereas Windows hosting plans run on a
server with a Windows operating system. The operating system on your PC
does not matter. You can publish your website just fine to a (less
expensive) Linux web hosting plan as long as your website does not
require Microsoft's specific windows server based scripting or
application platform. In other words, unless your web site uses ASP,
ASP.NET, Cold Fusion, .NET, or Microsoft SQL Server technology there is
no need to use the more expensive Windows hosting plan.
Sometimes people using
Microsoft’s FrontPage mistakenly believe that their web site will
require a Windows hosting plan. This is not the case, but the situation
has recently become more complicated. FrontPage does not use the listed
technologies, but it does require FrontPage Extensions to be installed
on the server if your web site uses certain dynamic functions such as
FrontPage's search or discussion features. Cpanel, one of the two
popular server control panels, has recently quit supplying the FrontPage
Extensions, and Cpanel hosts may not provide the extensions any longer
to new customers since they have to be installed by a technician.
The other popular control panel, Vdeck, apparently still handles the
FrontPage Extensions. With the FrontPage Extensions on the server
all web sites created with FrontPage will run just fine on the Linux hosting plans. In fact,
your web site will load even faster on a server running the UNIX/Linux
operating system.
Using FrontPage for
uploading your web site using HTTP also requires the server to have FrontPage
extensions enabled. The
tech service department of your host can make sure that these are
enabled on your server. Alternatively, FrontPage allows your web site to
be uploaded to the server using FTP which does not require the FrontPage
extensions. Please note though that if you select “FrontPage Extensions”
during the production of your web site, you will also need to have
FrontPage extensions installed on your host’s Linux server also. Bottom
line: if you do not select “FrontPage Extensions” when building your web
site and you upload your site to a Linux server with the FTP option, you
do not have to deal with FrontPage extensions at all.
Since the Linux
operating system is an open source program which is basically free, the
Linux hosting plans are invariably cheaper than the comparable Windows
hosting plans. The Linux operating system comes with a package of server
and desk top applications including File Server, FTP, DNS Server, etc.
Commonly used file extensions like .html, .htm, cgi, .pl, and .php are
all supported.
In conclusion, if your web site compatible with the Linux operation
system, and most are, there is no advantage in purchasing a more
expensive Windows hosting plan.
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