When you are thinking about hosting your web site in the Unix/Linux server hosting environment there are a few details that you ought to be conscious of. Unix is an operating system that was planned from the ground up to be a multi-user operating system. It can handle the needs of advanced users and servers with ease.

Early releases of Unix were very high-priced, which was something that hampered it’s uptake. However, there are free Unix compatible operating systems, such as Linux that carry out the identical job, but without the hefty price tag. Linux started life as a university project by Linus Torvalds and has developed to be a major force in web server operating systems.

When thinking about which server OS to opt for you will commonly find that servers using Linux will be cheaper that those based on the proprietary and costly Microsoft Windows. Linux tends to have a smaller system footprint and less overhead than Microsoft Windows. The financial savings from all of this are typically passed on to the consumer in cheaper prices.

If you decide to opt for Unix / Linux server hosting then you will also benefit from the large assortment of free software, a lot of which is open source and can be personalized to meet your exact needs. There is also a wealth of developers for these free and readily available software packages and tools.

So what disadvantages are there to choosing Unix or Linux? One of the disadvantages are that it is quite a complex operating system and requires more technical know-how to correctly manage it than Microsoft Windows. There are however loads of knowledgeable and experienced Unix experts and resources that you can fall back on.

A further disadvantage is that unless you are running your own server you are likely to find that your web host will tightly control the environment and may limit how you can access your account through Telnet or SSH.

So, your decision to choose Unix / Linux rather than Microsoft Windows will boil down to price, availability of free and readily available software, and how confident you feel about getting your hands dirty in what may be to you a potentially unfamiliar OS environment. However, your budget and desire for a cheap host may ultimately be the decisive factor.

One thing is definite though and that is that if you are in the market for a cheap host then going down the Linux path will ensure that you should be able to get. the cheapest deal available. You will also be in great company when selecting linux web hosting as it is the operating system of choice for many of the major web sites on the internet. So you can be sure that if it has the power and stability to meet their needs then it should be OK for yours!