Could you benefit from using Ubuntu for your web server?

When you're looking to set up a website, one of the key things you'll have to consider will be which of the many available platforms to use as an operating system.

While the first decision may be between Unix, Windows Server or Linux, if you go for the latter you'll have to think about which of the various choices will work best for you? Do you go for a free option such as CentOS, or a paid-for enterprise edition that may offer you more features, like Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?

Ubuntu is popular

One solutions that is said to be growing in popularity is Ubuntu. While this is a common option for desktop Linux machines, it might not necessarily be one of your first choices if you're looking to build a web server.

But that may be set to change, as the latest figures from W3 Techs reveal it's gaining ground. Although Unix remains far and away the number one distribution for web servers - in use on 64.3% of websites - 7% of all domains now base their systems on Ubuntu. This is up from 5.5% this time last year and, while it may not sound like much, the Register pointed out this is actually a "very solid showing", as it comfortably outpaces solutions such as RHEL, Fedora and Suse.

Ubuntu makes up 21.4% of Linux-based websites, which is enough to put it in third place, behind Debian (32%) and CentOS (27.8%). The Register noted that while W3 Techs' research does not offer any indication of why Ubuntu has been growing in popularity, it suggested: "It's safe to say that Ubuntu's easy installer, its solid hardware support and its rich and reliable software package system all play a role."

It added the fact Ubuntu is free to use is another major plus point in its favour, so if you're thinking of turning to Linux as a platform for your web servers, it's worth considering what Ubuntu could offer to you.