[thelist] Hosting at Home

[Chris at globet.com]

Shawn

> > > GNU/Linux is a great choice for a server, as are FreeBSD and 
> > > OpenBSD. I would strongly urge you not to even attempt to use 
> > > Windows for a server.
> > 
> > May I ask which version of Windows you are referring to, 
> and why you 
> > would advise against using it as a server?
> 
> Any of them, and due to the poor security track record of 
> Microsoft (evidence of which can be found by either searching 
> the Web, 

The reason I asked is that I have been toying with exactly the same idea
as Hershel - ditching my web hosting and running a webserver from home.
For some years I have worked solely with Windows systems, and have had
few problems using the Windows 2000 family in conjunction with a robust
security policy. I have also found that many of the security issues I
have come across have been due to weak default security settings in
Windows. Although weak default security settings are perhaps not a
*sensible* option for an OS, they don't make the OS insecure per se.

I have also (personally) had no issues with patched and hardened Windows
Server 2003 servers, in which the issue of weak default security
settings seems to have been addressed. Consequently, when I get round to
doing this I shall use Windows 2003 Server. In days gone by I may have
used the exercise of setting up my own web server as an excuse to learn
more about Linux, but these days a) I haven't got the time, b) working
solely with Windows systems at work it would not directly benefit me,
and c) having very little experience with Linux I would be more likely
to build a system with security flaws if using a Linux server.

[..]

I appreciate that historically Microsoft has had security issues with
its products, but this does not mean that Linux boxes never get hacked.
Also, it is sensible to go with what you know - and if that's Windows
then perhaps this is an argument for using this technology.

I'm not a Windows zealot, so one of these days hoppefully I shall make
the effort to get to know Linux a bit better :)

Chris Marsh
Web Developer
http://www.globet.com/
Tel: +44 20 8246 4804 Ext 828
Fax: +44 20 8246 4808

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