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Distro Options

Get the Linux Distribution of Your Choice

The software you run on your VPS depends on the Linux distribution you prefer.  We offer two Red Hat-based distros and two Debian-based options.

Choosing a Distro

Which is the right distro for you?

Want to have Java hosting?  We can install a recent JDK on any of our distros, as well as the latest Tomcat Servlet engine or JBoss J2EE server.  Just mention that when you order.

Looking for a stable, proven distro?  Choose CentOS 5, Debian or Ubuntu LTS.

Looking for the latest versions of software and don't mind upgrading frequently?  Choose the latest Ubuntu distro or the latest Fedora Core.

Unsure what you need?  Choose CentOS 5.  Or tell us what you need and we'll send you a recommendation.

For more information about each of the distros, read on...

64-bit or 32-bit Distributions?

We typically install 64-bit distributions on dedicated servers. If you require a 32-bit install just mention it on the order form.

On VPSs we use 32-bit distributions. The main reason being that most VPSs have less than 4GB of memory allocated.

CentOS 5

The Red Hat-based distros (CentOS, Fedora Core) have a very similar setup. Primarily they differ by RPM versions and support policies.  Red Hat do not warrant or directly support the CentOS-based distros we offer.

Red Hat released Red Hat™ Enterprise Linux 4 in March 2005.  It includes some nice updates over RHEL3.  For example, MySQL 4.1.10 (cf. MySQL 3.23) which introduces many new database features and improvements.  And it uses postfix and dovecot as its mail servers, which makes email very easy to set up.  The full rpm list for RHEL4 is here.

CentOS 5 will continue to have support for the next half decade.  Choose CentOS 5 if you want a popular enterprise distribution that is stable, widely supported, has recent RPMs and will get updates to fix bugs and security issues for the next several years.  CentOS 5 is our default and recommended distro.

Debian: Preferred By Hardcore Linux Users

Debian is a highly regarded distro.  And is the most commonly used distro among the Linux 'elite'.  It has powerful system administration tools, but it can be a bit intimidating for new users.  Debian has stable, unstable and testing repositories.  So you can choose to run a 'stable' box or one with the latest versions of software.

We offer Debian Etch (4.0) which was released as stable in 2007.

Ubuntu: A Popular Debian Derivative

Ubuntu is is based on Debian.  It will feel very similar to a Debian server.  It puts out regular releases every six months (cf. Debian every 1-5 years).  So it should generally have newer package versions than Debian.

Ubuntu have committed to producing security updates for each new release for 18 months after that release.

Ubuntu also make LTS (long term support) releases.  These releases receive errata updates for up to 5 years.  So these releases are good if you do not wish to do frequent, major distro upgrades.

We offer 8.04 (Hardy, LTS version) and 8.10.

Fedora Core: The Latest and Greatest Software Every 6 Months

Fedora Core has very recent versions of software (December 2008).  A new version of Fedora is released about every 6 months.  The Fedora project is a group of community developers working under the umbrella and with resources from Red Hat.  Much of the work they do goes into Red Hat's commercial distributions.

The most recent is Fedora Core 10 and includes goodies such as OpenJDK 6 and MySQL 5.0.67

Choose Fedora if you like the latest versions of software and want to upgrade your software frequently.

RedHat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc.

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