There are many options available for Linux distros, over 500.  Most of them you can make into a server.  Basically, a server is a computer that provides services for other computers, like a web site, or DHCP or ftp download, etc.  So it does not take much for a computer to act as a server.  However, if you are looking for the professional level server that, in my opinion, leads all other distros in functioning as a server then you need to investigate CentOS.  Here is a list of the reasons that CentOS is top on my list for a server.

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1. Origins
Where a Linux distro came from is an important part of what it is.  CentOS is built from the source code of Red Hat Enterprise.  This means that when you choose CentOS you will also receive the history, philosophy and aspects of Red Hat Enterprise.  I can remember the early versions of Red Hat, a distro growing with popularity but still just another distro.  However, when Red Hat made the decision to create an Enterprise version it changed everything.  The focus of Red Hat became the server, in fact they really do not even talk about the desktop as the oply option offered is a server.  So you have the source of CentOS with one focus, building the best enterprise server world wide.

2. Stability
Each distribution has its own philosophy, for CentOS (here you must always assume the origin of Red Hat), the requirement is for an operating system that is stable.  Stability means providing an operating system that does not have bugs in the software.  In order to eliminate bugs in software you need to use code that you can modify, in other words Open Source code.  Using only Open Source code will not provide you with the opportunity  to use the latest and greatest hardware as drivers may not be available for it.  This can be frustrating when you know that there are drivers available but they are not installed because they cannot be modified.  For me I can accept this as I want stability more than anything else.  The second aspect of stability is that code must be tested over an extended period of time.  This results in drivers being available at a later date that what other distros provide.  This however, is the cost of stability.

3. Security
Have you put a server online lately?  In less than 10 minutes it is under attack.   It only makes sense to use an operating system that is secure and is on the cutting edge of security.  Security is built from several keys issues in a distro.  First, security is built from using stable code.  Yep, the two are closing related.  Bugs in code often leads to security issues. Secondly, security is built upon decisions upon the file system and how it is structured.  One thing that you will find with CentOS you have almost all of the content for web server, FTP, databases, mail, logs ….  almost all of the public content is  located in the /var directory.  The major exception is the users for Samba.  This provides clear thinking on partitions, backups, and resources. A major factor in security is the use of SELinux.  CentOS (really Red Hat) is the leader world wide in the use of SELinux.  Yes I know it is overly complicated and hard to use and manage, but in my mind that is the price we all pay in terms of security today.   SELinux is much more mature than AppArmor which has a dubious future ( developers are working for Microsoft now).  SELinux is where CentOS is betting the farm, they (meaning Red Hat) spent a tremendous amount of money, time and resources on integrating SELinux throughout the operating system.  Often people do not realize that in order to use a product like SELinux yoiu must modify the entire operating system and rewrite the commands so they will work with the extended attributes.  Ubuntu and other distros say SELinux is available but what they do not tell you is that you can only use some features because the distro does not have a commitment to SELinux.  Therefore, as far as I know, there is only one Linux distro that can use SELInux to it’s full extent and that is CentOS (Red Hat).

4. Professional Server Install
Unlike other distros, CentOS comes installed with the professional features you need for a server.  These features include: ACLs, LVM2, raid tools with mdadm, SELinux and many other smaller features.  Linux distros that do not install these features by default really are not committed to the professional server.  What server admin wants an install with LVM today and not version 2 (LVM2)?  It is just not acceptable if you are going to use the Logical Volume Management.  Access Control Lists are an important feature that provides an administrator the option to give various levels of access to a file or folder to a number of users.  The mdadm command is an important tool in building and maintain RAID, but in other distros you have to download and install it.  This is what administrators need to get the job done.  Anyway, this is just my opinion but I think admins want a professional install they can count on.

Now I have used Red Hat and CentOS for close to 10 years now.  I have also set up a lot of other servers on SUSE, Ubuntu, Mandriva, etc.  These other distros have some positive aspects no doubt, but when I need an install I can count on for years…I always turn to CentOS.

Tags: centos, CentOS 5.2, Centos server, Linux servers