what are the advantages of open source OS vs Windows ?

[nimapoggy]

I would like to know what is the best between this two servers configurations :

1 - Windows2000/XP + IIS + ASP + SQL server 2000
2 - LINUX + Apache + PHP + PostgreSQL

I can't really see the advantages of each one...except the price of course.

Please help me to choose!

 

[garwain]

windows has a better developed GUI, and most M$ products are *supposed* to work together quite well.

Open Source alternatives are developed through a co-operative effort instead of the coders doing what management tells them to do. This means that people are free to focus on whatever issue they think needs implementing or improving.

One thing I'll say is that even though M$ has improved their memory management a lot compared to what is was just a few short years ago, it's still (and probably always will be) not quite there. I work with both linux and win2k servers, and in under a month the NT server has needed 3 reboots while the linux server required 1 because of an actual hardware problem (ok, 3 reboots before I fix it properly but the server was offline for 1 period of half an hour while I was working on it)

It's easier to install software on a windows machine, but on a linux machine it'll give you a good feeling when you get it right the first (or thirty first) time.

pricewise Microsoft will take at least one arm and leg as a down payment then start taking installments of your hair until you are bald while with the open source, you can download everything.

Windows had GUI tools that have been time tested and user approved while the open source alternatives are still in the early stages. If you can modify the configuration files and use the command line system though, once you get used to it, you'll probably be just as comforable in linux.

I haven't worked much with PHP yet, but it has already impressed me. ASP is... well... ASP.

What I'd recommend you check is
1) can your budjet afford a windows server?
2) can you afford the downtime while a windows machine reboots?
3) which scripting language, database an OS would your developers be most comforable with?

If you have a linux guru (or at least someone who knows their way around) it would probably be the best choice. Most linux servers are more secure by default than windows. For a windows server you'll have a LOT of patching to do on the server before opening it to the rest of the world.