While Windows is a well-known operating system, most developers and technologists prefer Linux for its stability, security, and customization flexibility. Linux doesn't do well in personal desktop computers, but it's the operating system of choice to power servers and supercomputers, and even Microsoft uses Linux for its cloud environment.
Linux is a free, open source and very lightweight operating system that is highly customizable and can be easily optimized to perform specific tasks very quickly. It is more stable, secure, and scalable than other operating systems, making it the best choice for choosing an operating system for servers.
The variety of options that Linux offers makes it unique. There are hundreds of different Linux distributions available on the web, making the already difficult process of choosing the right distribution even more confusing.
The first question IT administrators face is which distribution they will use for their servers. There is no single correct answer to this question. Most of the time it just comes down to personal choice/preference, but there are other factors you need to consider when choosing the right distribution, such as flexibility, reliability, and the task at hand.
This article covers the top ten Linux distributions for servers, so let's get started.
1.Ubuntu
We'll start with Ubuntu, since it's the most popular and well-known Linux distribution, it needs no introduction since most people who are familiar with Linux also know Ubuntu. This distribution is based on Debian and mainly consists of open source software, which is free and available to everyone.
It has three different versions:
- server version
- desktop version
- kernel version
Ubuntu also has an LTS release that offers five years of long-term support, by using this release you will get the necessary security updates every five years and you don't even have to upgrade to a newer release. Furthermore, it supports various processors such as x86 and ARM64, and it comes with many pre-installed features and tools that make it suitable for various types of servers such as file, email and media servers.
Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, has now released Ubuntu Cloud, which supports various cloud-based platforms.
website:
https://ubuntu.com/server
Minimum requirements
- Memory: 1GB
- Hard Disk: 2.5GB
- cpu：1GHz
main features
- regular update
- 5-year support for LTS
- high scalability
2.Debian
The second distribution is Debian, one of the oldest Linux distributions that has stood the test of time, and many distributions, such as Ubuntu, use Debian as their base.
The distro lacks the latest features, but its unparalleled stability masks its shortcomings. With a powerful software packaging system, with 50000+ packages, Debian supports many computer architectures, such as amd64 and Aarch64.
Debian also offers Long term and Extended Long term editions, with three different versions:
- stable version
- Unstable version
- Beta
As the name suggests, the stable version provides stability and security, the unstable version has the latest features, but may crash at any time, and the beta version also has the latest software, but is less prone to problems than the unstable version.
website:
https://www.debian.org/
Minimum requirements
- Memory: 256MB
- Recommended memory: 512MB
- Hard disk: 2GB
- Processor: 1GHz
main features
- Stablize
- Safety
- Powerful package manager with a large number of packages
- Extensive hardware support
- smooth upgrade
3.Fedora
The third distribution is Fedora, which is a community-developed distribution that provides the latest open source free software and serves as a testbed for the RHEL distribution. It has different editions for different user types, such as desktop computer users, servers, IoT devices, and cloud computing, and it has all the latest features, but these features come at the cost of a short life cycle.
website:
https://getfedora.org/
Minimum requirements
- Memory: 128MB
- Hard disk: 1GB
- Processor: 2GHz
main features
- latest software
- dynamic firewall
- positive development
4.RHEL
RHEL is the abbreviation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It is an open source Linux distribution developed by Red Hat, Inc. based on Fedora. It does not provide the cutting-edge software provided by Fedora, but it does provide higher stability and LTS with a service life of 10 years Version.
Made for commercial purposes and with enterprise-grade support, RHEL is a paid Linux distribution unlike almost every other distribution on this list. However, Red Hat Inc does make its source code freely available.
This Linux distribution offers one of the longest long-term support, and with this distribution you get a host of proprietary tools and software.
This distribution is best suited for cloud-based servers and data centers.
Minimum requirements
- Memory: 512MB
- Hard disk: 1GB
- Processor: 2GHz
main features
- 10-year LTS (Long Term Support)
- Patching the kernel without rebooting
5.SUSE Linux
Known for its adaptability and flexibility, SUSE Linux is suitable for desktop computers, laptops, servers and notebooks, and it comes in two different editions:
- Leap
- Tumbleweed
Leap is the standard release, while Tumbleweed is the rolling release of OpenSUSE, most people like Leap for its stability, its cloud-agnostic design and multi-mode architecture. This distro has a great community that helps users with any issues they face.
OpenSUSE does not have a separate server ISO image, instead its default installer has a server installation option.
website:
https://www.opensuse.org/
Minimum requirements
- Memory: 1GB
- Hard disk: 10GB
- Processor: 1.6GHz
main features
- stable
- various tools
6. SLES
The sixth distribution, SLES, is based on OpenSUSE, just as RHEL is based on Fedora, and OpenSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server share the same parent company, SUSE, an open source software company based in Germany.
SLES is a commercial product of SUSE, and OpenSUSE is their non-commercial distribution.
SLES With long intervals between new releases, SLES products are rigorously tested and only the most stable and mature components are added in the final product.
It is very stable and secure, used by big companies like Amazon and Google, this distro is suitable for all types of servers.
website:
https://www.suse.com/products/server/
Minimum requirements
- Hard Disk: 3.5GB
- Memory: 512
- Processor: 1GHz
main features
- long term support
- flexible and configurable
- powerful tool
7.Oracle Linux
The seventh release is Oracle Linux, an open source Linux distribution compiled from RHEL source code, packaged and distributed by Oracle, compatible with RHEL's application library, which provides powerful tools to make For memory management and file organization, it can be used in virtual environments and data systems.
This distribution is completely free, however, Oracle does offer premium support for a fee, which is a competitor to RHEL and best suited for small to large enterprises.
Minimum requirements
- Hard disk: 1GB
- Memory: 1GB
- Processor: 1GHz
main features
- RHEL Compatibility
- Network Stack Tool
8.ArchLinux
The eighth distribution, ArchLinux, has been on the decline in popularity and is less friendly to beginners and more suitable for experienced users as it doesn't offer the level of support other distributions on this list have.
ArchLinux is a general-purpose distribution that can be heavily customized according to needs.
If you're looking for a secure, lightweight distro that you can customize to your needs, then ArchLinux is the way to go.
Minimum requirements
- Hard disk: 2GB
- Memory: 512MB
- Processor: 1GHz
main features
- highly customizable
- for experienced users
- extremely light and stable
9.Slackware OS
This is another distro for experienced Linux users that doesn't offer any official support.
This distribution is mainly suitable for people who are used to using the terminal, because it does not provide a graphical installation, nor does it have automatic dependency resolution. These properties make it extremely lightweight and stable, allowing it to run on systems that are even ten years old.
Administration and configuration of Slackware is primarily handled by simple text files and shell scripts.
Although this distribution is very lightweight, it still comes with a lot of powerful development tools.
Minimum requirements
- 64MB RAM (1GB+ recommended)
- Hard disk: 100MB (1GB recommended)
- Processor: 486 processor
main features
- for experienced users
- extremely light and stable
- Support for running on legacy systems
- active community
10.Mageia Linux
The last distribution is a fork of Mandriva called Mageia, which is known for its user-friendly environment and graphics driver support. It is a community-driven distribution that is simple, secure, stable and flexible.
This distribution is relatively new and comes with many powerful tools and packages.
Minimum requirements
- Any AMD, Intel or VIA processor
- 512 MB RAM
- 5 GB hard drive
main features
- Supports various types of servers and databases
- community based
in conclusion
Every Linux distribution is unique and customized and optimized for specific tasks.
If you want an active community, then using Ubuntu is the best choice. On the other hand, experienced users prefer ArchLinux and SlackwareOS. Fedora and OpenSUSE are known for their latest and cutting-edge features. RHEL and SUSE are paid commercial distributions used by large companies like Google, Amazon, and other Fortune 500 companies.
Therefore, the decision to choose the right Linux server comes down to two things, personal preference and the task at hand.