Linux as Server Hosting

There are differences between Linux and the Microsoft platform (and others). There are some differences between two platforms, such as security features, functionality and of course supported scripting languages. Microsoft has its own operating system with associated licensing fees, and Linux is an open source operating system that is often free. The majority of web features run on both platforms.

The primary difference between Linux and many other popular contemporary operating systems is that the Linux kernel and other components are free and open source software. Linux is not the only such operating system, although it is by far the most widely used. Some free and open source software licenses are based on the principle of copyleft, a kind of reciprocity: any work derived from a copy left piece of software must also be copyleft itself.

Performance

In terms of performance there is no noticeable difference between two platforms. Both  are continuously improving their infrastructure and getting better every day. Linux based distributions are intended by developers for interoperability with other operating systems and established computing standards. Linux systems adhere to POSIX, SUS, ISO and ANSI standards where possible, although to date only one Linux distribution has been POSIX.1 certified, Linux-FT.

In the arena of free software projects although developed in a collaborative fashion, such projects, are often produced independently of each other. The fact that the software licenses explicitly permit redistribution, however, provides a basis for larger scale projects that collect the software produced by stand-alone projects and make it available all at once in the form of a Linux distribution.

A GNU/Linux operating system is made of a Linux kernel, a set of GNU tools, an installation program, a package management system and a lot of other software components. Because all these components are free to use and to distribute, anybody can assemble and configure them according to their needs and create their very own GNU/Linux operating system.

Distributors

Many people and companies have been distributing Linux operating systems. These distributions made it easy for people to get and to install a working GNU/Linux system on their personal computer.

All distributions include the Linux kernel developed by Linus Torvalds and the GNU tools developed by Richard Stallman but they don't necessarily use their latest versions. Some distributions even make their own changes to the kernel.  Distributions typically use a package manager such as Synaptic or YAST to install, remove and update all of a system's software from one central location.