INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Running a small business is no easy task
out to be a less complex choice for many tasks, depending on the distribution you select
And, critically, Linux is free; at least if you don't figure in support costs
That's an overhead ticked off the list.So what's the best choice for your small business We've approached this selection with a few criteria
Stability must come first: if you're putting a distro to work, uptime is critical
Solid support provision comes a close second.We've also considered practical capabilities, which is why you'll find a couple of non-desktop
distributions on our list.1
CentOSOne of the world's most popular server distrosEnterprise-class Linux for anyoneFamiliar default Gnome desktopRPM package management
undoubtedly a distro with strong credentials
Its default Gnome desktop is pleasant and reasonably familiar to most computer users, the RPM package management system is widely supported,
and it's equally at home on workstations and servers.CentOS harnesses the open source components of its parent OS, which actually make up
Only Red Hat's trademarks and a few proprietary components are omitted
Thanks to this unique partnership, updates tend to flow to CentOS only a day or two after they hit RHEL
In other words, this is enterprise-class Linux that anyone can use.CentOS is now one of the world's most popular server distros, and is
perfect if you want to build serious hardware appliances without paying for a Red Hat subscription
While the CentOS community can provide some useful advice free of charge, professional support is the key reason for using RHEL
expensive for small business use.2
ClearOSA distro administered entirely from a web interfaceNifty alternative to commercial server platformsRelatively easy-to-useProfessional
tech supportClearOS and CentOS are pretty close cousins
Both run many of the same packages inherited from RHEL, and can benefit from the swift Red Hat release cycle
But while CentOS is a functional desktop OS, ClearOS is designed primarily as a server platform and an alternative to commercial options
like Red Hat Enterprise Server or Windows Small Business Server
The OS is administered entirely from a web interface, so you won't need a keyboard, mouse, or even a monitor connected to the machine once
That web interface makes installing this operating system's various components a breeze, so you can easily set up a firewall for your
work perfectly together.ClearOS 7 is supported professionally by a dedicated ClearCARE team
It also includes software packages that have been thoroughly tested for stability
performance of two virtual machines and eight CPU cores.3
OpenSUSEUsed as the basis for SUSE Linux EnterpriseRuns well on older hardwareEven works on a Raspberry PiSecure and stable OSWhile CentOS
is an open source OS based on a paid-for release, OpenSUSE works in reverse
This community-developed operating system is used as the basis for the commercially-supported SUSE Linux Enterprise
SUSE actually borrows a lot from Red Hat, including its RPM package management system, but isn't a direct clone.OpenSUSE is one of the few
distros to use the graphically-heavy KDE window manager by default, though you can also install Mate, LXDE and others
This means it can run on older hardware
In fact, if you're looking to run small web appliances, the latest version will run on a Raspberry Pi and includes a huge number of
every 18 months as before
This makes for a much more secure and stable operating system.4
a small business, the security of your network should be as important a concern as the behaviour of your employees
IPFire ticks both these boxes at once
It's an all-in-one Linux appliance: install it on a machine which sits between your internet connection and your network switch and it'll do
everything from managing IP addresses to protecting you with a firewall, and controlling what sites your workers are allowed to visit and
managed via a web interface and requires at least a machine with two network connections
There's an excellent installation handbook and paid support is available if necessary.5
While Ubuntu's stability and flexibility for end users is very solid, there's also a free-to-use Ubuntu Server version to handle your
This means you'll be able to get the software you need quickly and easily.One of Ubuntu's strongest features is the level of support it
The vast user base means there's a raft of technical documentation available, and its generous community has answered just about every
question you might have.Ubuntu is released twice a year in April and October
The April releases are tagged LTS which stands for Long Term Support, and unlike the versions released in the autumn, these are maintained
With Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, you're covered until 2021, which is a great advantage for long-term stability.For those times when you need a little
community editions of the OSManjaro is built on top of Arch Linux, traditionally one of the more complex and obtuse Linux distros out there
This OS does away with that complexity, while sharing Arch's streamlined and fast environment, its latest 'bleeding edge' software, and its
released, and your Manjaro machines will upgrade over time rather than being taken out of service.The latest release of Manjaro 17.0.6 uses
choice for end-user systems
With some work you could probably build a server from Manjaro's Minimal Net edition, but other distros handle that aspect a lot better.You
could also find a prebuilt version amongst Manjaro's community editions which may suit your needs perfectly; check them out here.7
SlackwareThe oldest consistently maintained Linux distroHuge level of control availableCan be used to create a very streamlined distroNot
easy to configureWe're entering the realm of more difficult distros here, and we're doing it without the safety net of a dedicated paid
support structure, but give Slackware a chance if you're looking to build bespoke Linux systems.It's the oldest consistently maintained
Linux distro, having first emerged in 1993, and as such it doesn't make any assumptions about the way you're going to use it, giving you
more control than most other types of Linux.You're going to need control, though: its package manager doesn't resolve software dependencies,
there's no fixed release schedule (new stable versions of Slackware tend to come out when they're ready, and the most recent release gap was
around three years), and there are no graphical configuration tools.But knuckle down, edit a bunch of plain text files, and you'll be able
to create exactly the package you need for your business, all on top of a lightweight and bloat-free distro.Linux Format is the number one
magazine to boost your knowledge on Linux, open source developments, distro releases and much more
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