What is the most used server distro?

I'm interested in going into systems and network administration and so I'm running a Linux server to learn and test out. It currently runs Ubuntu Server, but I'd like to know which distro is more commonly used in professional deployment, so I can install that instead and learn from it. I've heard that CentOS, RHEL, Fedora, and Debian are commonly used but I haven't heard much about Ubuntu Server.

Which one would the seasoned sysadmin recommend?

Solution 1:

From my experience, I've seen more CentOS and RHEL than anything else. Of course everyone is going to have their own opinion and preference but those would be my 2 picks.

Solution 2:

You're going to have a difficult time finding an unbiased opinion regarding Linux distributions, as this is a contentious topic.

If you are looking for statistics on the most used Linux distribution as a server, I am not aware of any. You will have a difficult time locating recent, relevant, and unbiased analysis of distribution usage. It would be difficult to find a definitive source for this data.

Nevertheless, Distrowatch has a Web site that counts distributions based on page views. I would say this better examples the distributions more commonly used for workstations as opposed to servers. Also, This site has user entered data that provides statistics on distribution usage.

Solution 3:

Depends. There are no, to my knowledge, hard numbers since anyone can download and install Linux as many times as they want.

Beginners and experienced alike use Ubuntu. Especially if they don't want to switch between home workstations and servers or workstations at work.

Debian is popular with admins because it tends to be straightforward and no nonsense due to their strict guidelines of what is and isn't endorsed by their philosophy of software. Usually if you want a specific purpose server, Debian is very stable and doesn't include a lot of stuff you don't want.

Red Hat's offerings are commercial and offer good support. Hardware compat lists, phone support, etc. are good for businesses.

Underneath it all the Linux kernel is the Linux kernel. The only big difference comes from the default and extras installed and how loose a distro plays with security updates.

You should install what you're most comfortable administrating. If you are used to the tools in Ubuntu, go with Ubuntu. Or Debian. Or CentOS. Whatever floats your boat. You're going to be better off using what you're comfortable and knowledgeable with than shoehorning into something you're not familiar with and in some cases subtle differences can create some not so amusing results (why would issuing that killall command make the server shut down?...oh...)