Linux - Red Hat - Ubuntu - Debian - CentOS
We have a wide range of linux services available. We are distribution neutral, we work with Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora, whatever meets your business needs. For a typical first installation, we would recommend the latest Ubuntu Long Term Support release, with 5 years support from Canonical, your total cost of ownership can't be bettered.
For Red Hat support, we believe CentOS is a viable alternative, however we will happily support the premiere commercial Linux distribution, Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Have a look at our view on Linux Administration or contact us at Contact.
If you're brand new to Linux, one of the hardest decisions to make is which distribution to install. There's also the matter of 32 bit verses 64 bit. 64 bit must be better for a Linux installation, right? Not necessarily, if you wish to use a Linux desktop, at the moment the easiest way to go is with 32 bit, hands down. Why is that? Some 3rd party proprietary applications such as adobe flash won't necessarily work out of the box on a 64 bit platform. Also, there are no real benefits for running a 64 bit platform unless you have more than 4 gigabytes of memory, and for a typical business Linux desktop application, over 4 gigabytes isn't necessary.
Linux servers are a different story, but I would recommend 64 bit only if you have more than 4 gigabytes of memory. Even then, it might make more sense to run a cluster of 32 bit virtual machines on your 64 bit linux install.
Most Linux distributions are free to install, or have a free trial period. So the only cost you will face in trying out different distributions is time. To save your time, I will give you my recommendations.
For desktops or laptops, I recommend installing Ubuntu Linux, the latest Ubuntu install, 32 bit, is currently 9.10. Ubuntu Linux comes in many flavours. One is the Long Term Support version, and another is the ordinary version. The Long Term Support version is supported by Ubuntu for three years on the desktop, and five years on the server. This is great if you must have long term version stability. For ordinary Linux business desktop use, however, I would recommend installing the latest normal version, and upgrading it to the latest release every six months. That will give you the latest Linux software and hardware drivers on your Ubuntu install. This is especially important if your hardware is new.
For a general purpose Linux server configuration with no known Linux distribution requirements, I think installing Ubuntu Long Term Support is hard to look past. It's possible to keep the same software versions running for the life of the hardware with the only updates due to major bugs and security releases - The Ubuntu server install that really delivers on cost of ownership
Another option to look at is CentOS, CentOS is based on the premiere commercial Linux distribution, Red Hat Enterprise Linux. With installing CentOS, like with installing Ubuntu Long Term Support, you get version stability. You also get binary compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, this may only be a concern if you need to run 3rd party Linux software that only supports Red Hat Enterprise Linux. On that note, if you do require to run 3rd party software that requires Red Hat Enterprise Linux, ask if the vender will support you on CentOS first before spending time installing it