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

Initial releases of Unix were very high-priced, which was something that held back it’s adoption. However, there are free Unix compatible operating systems, for example Linux that perform the identical job, but without the hefty price tag. Linux began existence as a university project by Linus Torvalds and has developed to be a main force in web server operating systems.

When considering which server OS to opt for you will by and large discover that servers running Linux will be cheaper that those based on the proprietary and pricey Microsoft Windows. Linux normally has a smaller system footprint and less overhead than Microsoft Windows. The financial savings from all of this are normally 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 huge choice of free software, most of which is open source and can be tailored to meet your precise needs. There is also a wealth of developers for these free and readily available software packages and tools.

So what disadvantages are there to selecting Unix or Linux? One of the downsides are that it is quite a complex operating system and requires more technical experience to correctly administer it than Microsoft Windows. There are however a lot 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 select Unix / Linux rather than Microsoft Windows will boil down to price, availability of free and readily available software, and how confident you are 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 certain though and that is that if you are in the market for a cheap host then going down the Linux path will mean that you should be able to get. the cheapest prices possible. You will also be in good company when selecting linux web hosting as it is the operating system of choice for many of the largest web sites on the internet. So you can be certain that if it has the power and stability to meet their needs then it should be OK for yours!