The majority of the web hosting beginners often stumble upon this frequently asked question. Getting the sort of answer you are looking for can be difficult and at-times irritating. But nevertheless, that shouldn't be a point to ponder much on let alone worry about. This blog puts 2 and 2 together for the readers in terms of whether or not Linux is an adequate platform for beginners in the field of web hosting. Moreover, this blog also focuses on some of the very basic yet essential commands related to networking and web hosting on Linux based operating systems.
For those of you who don’t know Linux that well, here is a brief introduction to the Linux Operating System.
It is a very basic open source platform, quite familiar amongst programmers worldwide. It’s a relatively cheap, stable and secure OS for any kind of web based computing needs of an individual or an organization. There are many versions of Linux available online. These versions are also known as distribution.
What to look for in Linux
It seems as if Linux is gradually becoming a much preferred Web Hosting platform.
The interface of Linux is not really complicated. In fact, if you haven’t used Linux based operating systems ever before, you don’t have to freak out and seek help from others !
For those who understand the architecture of a Windows based Operating System, Linux will definitely be an easier switch.
The languages that are quintessential for most of the open source users are PhP, XML, Python and MySQL. These languages go hand in hand with Linux because of the archetypal LAMP software bundle.
Linux is a powerfully designed OS. Quite often, the main potential of Linux is observed when used in servers. Majorly, these days the mainframe web hosting servers either run on Windows architecture or on Linux(much preferred).
The overall count of the worldwide users of Linux is growing day by day. Now, it seems to be a more preferred choice for most of the programmers and many companies as well.
In order to get a much clearer image, here is a comparative analysis of Linux Vs Windows OS.
| Linux Operating System | Windows Operating System |
| Much Faster processing | Comparatively Less speedy |
| Safe and Secure computing | Much prone to VIRUS attacks |
| Open source therefore zero licensing costs | Proprietary based platform hence they charge licensing cost of Windows based tools and applications. |
| Applications are easily available for use through Package Manager. | Applications need to be downloaded from the internet and then installed in order to be used. |
| Lacks the graphical aspects | Graphically more equipped |
| Best fit for Php and Python | Best fit with asp.net and .net |
Most websites that are built using Windows based languages and development tools work best on Windows OSs. Yet on the contrary, because Linux being an open[1] source platform, most of the web savvy users(by web savvy I mean who understand the internet and not those who just use internet to Google information and for social media) somehow find it more convenient, speedier, and safer to use.
#Did you know that even Android is a Linux based distribution.
#Did you know that even Android is a Linux based distribution.
What to know when using Linux
When using Linux, there are a few basic commands that one must be well versed with in order to enhance the computing experience. As you know, Linux is a mixture of GUI i.e Graphical User Interface and CLI i.e Command Line Interface.
When using Linux, there are a few basic commands that one must be well versed with in order to enhance the computing experience. As you know, Linux is a mixture of GUI i.e Graphical User Interface and CLI i.e Command Line Interface.
In this section of the article, let us focus on the Command Line part of Linux OS.
In order to make use of Linux in its command line form, you will need to open the Terminalwherein you will start off with further coding .
Here are some of the basic commands that a Linux user must know:
● pwd command: Print Working directory
This command will print the name of the directory you are in your memory drive.
The output might appear something as : /home/my-pc
● ls command: List contents of current directory
When you type ls and press the enter key, it will list all the things that you are accessing in your current directory.
● clear command:clear text on the terminal
If you type clear and press enter, everything that you had typed so far and all the data that you fetched through the terminal will simply disappear.In other words, it clears your terminal screen.
● cd command:Used for navigation between directories and folders
Suppose your root directory comprises of the default folders Desktop, Documents, Music, Downloads and you want to navigate to the Downloads folder via the terminal.
In such a case, all you need to type is cd Document and then simply press enter.
All the content inside the document folder will show up on your terminal window.
In such a case, all you need to type is cd Document and then simply press enter.
All the content inside the document folder will show up on your terminal window.
Now, lets talk about some of the basic networking commands.
By understanding the importance of these networking commands, one can easily know about the terminals of your network.Here is a list of the most basic networking commands that a Linux user should be aware of.
● hostname:Using hostname you can actually know what is the actual hostname, the fully qualified domain name and also the IP address of your system.
Some of the child commands of hostname are :
● hostname - displays the machines host name
● hostname - d - displays the domain name the machine belongs to
● hostname - f - displays the fully qualified domain and host name
● hostname - i - displays the IP Address of the currently logged in machine
● netstat: By using the netstat command you can view the routing table, the different sockets on your system and to which other sockets they connected for instance TCP , UDP.By using netstat, you can find out all the muticast groups used by this host by isuing netstat -g.
Some other netstat commands are:
● netstat -nap |grep port :This command will display the pid(process id) of all the applications using that port.
● netstat -a or netstat -all :This will display all the connections including the TCP and the UDP as well.
● ping: By using this command you can test your network connection and check whether your network connection is working appropriately or not.
When you ping, you are sending packets of information to the user defined source. If the packets are received on the other end, the destination device will send back the packets.
When you ping, you are sending packets of information to the user defined source. If the packets are received on the other end, the destination device will send back the packets.
● Ifconfig: This command is a very versatile command as it has the potential to tell you about your IP address, your TX RX data exchange rate. You can see all the ethernet that is available on your system.
● nslookup: This command is used for querying DNS to know the IP address of a domain name or a domain name responding to your IP address.
● telnet: Long back, telnet was used to connect to a remote entity and accessing that entity. But since it is a secure thing and because SSH is more prominent now, so telnet is generally used for checking the connectivity.
● traceroute:This is a very useful command. You can use it see what level you are reaching while connecting to another remote network station. Suppose two systems are connected. You can do a traceroute to the IP address or domain of the other system.Once done, it will show all the intermediary nodes through which the packets are going to other networks. So you can actually see how your packet is transferring from one network to the other.
If you can learn these basic Linux commands, you will be able to optimize on your web hosting venture. These commands will help you in operating your website cpanel, the development part and speed up the over all hosting process.
So, as per your web hosting needs, if you can observe the small differences in most of the web hosting technologies and scripting support softwares available on the internet, you will come across various features of Linux that might actually attract you. Proprietorship based softwares will always remain an option(after all it’s the era of Internet Marketing), but nonetheless, open source will always be open source!
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