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Linux Server Support

[Support]

Instead of paying for Linux support contracts that give you little more than access to software updates, consider having a dedicated Linux support engineer through ISP Ltd. We can provide generally superior Linux support with a consistent point of contact, so you will not have to re-introduce yourself and explain your situation each time. We maintain our own software repositories for new and updated packages for supported Linux platforms, so whatever you need can be quickly provided.

Think of the difference that a dedicated engineer can make. You can call not only when you have issues, but to brainstorm ways to improve your services, discuss possible scenarios for growth, etc.

ISP Ltd. is small, but we are no start-up. Our business roots go back to 1986 and we have specialised in Linux since 1998.

Linux Distributions

There are so many variations on Linux, but at the core they are all using the same software and vary mainly in their configuration and package management tools. ISP Ltd. offers qualified, friendly, and reliable Linux administration and engineering for all of the major server Linux distributions.

If you are not sure which Linux is the best for you, just call and talk to us about it. We will be happy to help you compare the potential benefits of each distribution. There is a page with some general points about the various distributions under the Support menu. Below is a quick summary.

Which Linux distribution should I use?

Which Linux is best depends on several factors, naturally. When you get right down to the nuts and bolts of what makes Linux Linux, they are all using the same software. Every Linux distribution uses the Linux kernel, because of which fact all distributions are bundled under the name of “Linux”. They all have the same software available. The main differences in order of increasing importance (IMHO) are:

  • which software they install as “standard” (easy to change)
  • which software they make available through their software channels (harder to change)
  • which features they configure install as “standard” (can be hard to change)
  • the package manager used for adding and removing software (very hard to change)
  • how stable the core distribution is (obviously the most important thing)

What varies is the default configuration, default tool sets provided, the package manager, and the directory layout. For this reason, if you have server administrators on staff then you will of course want to use the Linux distribution that they know best.

Which one you choose depends on many factors such as:

  • How many servers or desktops do you need to build and support?
  • How skilled are the people who will be maintaining them?
  • How important is security?
  • How important is stability?
  • How important are new features?
  • How important is compatibility with other systems?

For desktop users, it is possible to install several distributions and choose the one to boot each time. A more convenient tool, but not without drawbacks, is to to use a tool like VirtualBox that lets you run virtual machines within a parent/host machine.

My brief summary of Linux distributions that I use is this:

Distribution name Benefits Drawbacks
Gentoo Gentoo has an excellent blend of efficiency, stability, security, and advanced features. It always among the first to get the latest security updates (often the very day the author publishes them). It has the ability to fine-tune the server to run as lean as possible, like no other Linux distribution, which results in improved speed, security, and stability. A Gentoo server running continuously and also regularly patched for 4+ years is not uncommon. Gentoo is a rolling release, which means you never have a "major version upgrade" nightmare; just keep updating individual packages. The down-side is that Gentoo requires the most time and technical skill to maintain. It is an excellent choice for servers if your company has skilled staff to maintain it. Since it is a rolling release, updates should be done fairly often, at least once per quarter.

We feel the effort is worth the benefits. ISP Ltd. manages several Gentoo servers for itself and its clients and has since 2005.
Arch Arch is one of the easiest/quickest to install, has a solid team foundation, has the most cutting-edge software of any binary distribution, and has good community support to fix issues. Like Gentoo, Arch is a rolling release which means you never have the "major version upgrade" nightmare that is common with nearly all other Linux distributions. Arch needs to be updated regularly or the software will become unable to be updated. Gentoo is more forgiving in this area than Arch. The positive aspect of this is, however, that by updating regularly (e.g., monthly) you wll keep your server up-to-date with all the latest bug and security enhancements.
Red Hat, Oracle, CentOS Red Hat/Oracle/CentOS is the most common Linux distribution on servers, and as such it is easier to find administrators to hire. Red Hat was recently purchased by IBM. Red Hat software is all free, but you have to buy a support contract in order to access their servers to get the free packages. CentOS is the free version of Red Hat—the software is the same, but support contracts are not available and the software can be downloaded without charge. Like CentOS, Oracle also bundles the same free software as Red Hat offers, but they add extra packages, extra features, specific support for the Oracle database server. Like Red Hat, Oracle offers support contracts, but like CentOS access to their software repository is free and open to the public, so you don't have to buy a support contract in order to keep your servers up to date. Thus, between the three, Oracle seems the best choice for a small business who wants Red Hat.

Red Hat and Oracle software updates are infrequent, so quarterly or even semi-annual updates are feasible. This means you won't have to spend much time updating and rebooting, but it also means your software is not going to have the latest features or bug fixes. 		One negative aspect of Red Hat is that the software is often very old, sometimes many years behind the latest release. Red Hat will sometimes provide security patches, if the package is popular enough, but if it is not popular then it might have bugs for years and nobody at Red Hat will do anything to help you (unless, perhaps, if you have a support contract). The other big negative about the Red Hat method is that major releases usually require major amounts of work and involve changes that will often break whatever software you had been running, which mandates updates across-the-board on all of your software. This can be costly in many ways. Thus, ISP Ltd. does not recommend Red Hat, Oracle, or CentOS for very small companies unless compatibility with specific software requires it.
Debian, Ubuntu Debian/Ubuntu is likely the most common desktop, so like Red Hat you may have an easier time finding administrators who know how to manage it. Major version upgrades (e.g., from version 12 to version 14) often cause problems with desktops, but not so much with servers that are not running a graphical desktop. Some people avoid updates because of the issues, which means they stop receiving security updates.