Linux Server optimized for Web application development

For PHP developers, Linux is most popular Operating System, and most have configured LAMP in their Windows or Mac workstations. They have virtual private web development server in the existing operating system like any other program with a collection of standard industry software. This server is cheaper, faster and accessible from their workstation.

Linux Distributions:

• OpenSUSE – formally known SUSE Linux, in development since 1994, sponsored by ‘Novell.’
  

  “Linus Torvalds criticizes it for usability issues especially around security policies requiring root credentials for everyday operations.”

• Fedora – General purpose Linux distribution, created in 2003 when Red Hat Linux discontinued
• Ubuntu – derivation of Debian codebase.

How does it matter? When is it free and open source software, how it can be trusted?

• Minimizes or eliminates the cost of its use
• large community to support
• a variety of components

Install and configure Linux Web Server and bring the components work together in a Software stack LAMP (Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP). You may be required to troubleshoot common installation and configuration issues, install PHP development framework and Content Management system.

As an administrator of the Linux Server, you can:

• work from the command line and configure various server components including the Exim-mail server
• build a simple website that connects to the local database
• install Drupal, WordPress, and more on the server
• Troubleshoot and maintain Linux server components
• Manage the server with Webmin
• Use a MySQL client with the database

Virtualization: It allows an unmodified operating system with all its installed software to run in an environment within your existing operating system.

Profits of Virtualization

• No need to take the external resource such as external machine or VPS

Requirements for Private Web Server

1. Server optimized operating system like Ubuntu Server LTS 64 bit   * LTS – Long Term Support available at Ubuntu[dot]com
2. VirtualBox for virtualization available at virtualbox[dot]org or Oracle VM VirtualBox
3. SSH Client, e.g., PuTTY
4. IDE or Text Editor

Why is Linux considered a viable solution for web development? It’s free, and everybody can copy and re-use the software also its source code is available which users can change, improve and distribute again as open source software, so collaboratively, it leads to a stronger platform and thus an excellent solution for those in web development. It has an extensive community-based support system which includes forums, wikis and Internet relay chat.