[WEB4LIB] RE: Advice on Linux [Why we run IIS and like to be ridiculed]

[Mark Ellis]

First, I'll agree with Raymond's proposition on the utility of Linux, but
add that Windows can be useful too.

Eric's assertion that Apache+Linux offers more features and better
performance may well be true, but if you don't require the additional
features they'll just add unnecessarily to the complexity of your setup.

Performance sounds great, but if the difference is imperceptible to your
users and/or you're not saving a lot of money on hardware to make up for
sluggish software, it too is irrelevant.  I'm finding that the performance
of database back-ends is more of an issue than that of the
page-spitter-outer.

The total cost of anything is never $0.00  The purchase price will be
dwarfed by the cost of your time used to maintain the system.

Windows/IIS has had "tragic security and reliability flaws", but we haven't
experienced them--either through dumb luck or by the prompt application of
patches to fix them.

Seven years ago, my motivation for running a web server on Windows was to
reduce the number OSs I had to maintain.  I think we've enjoyed mostly
benefits of that decision since then.  However, were I choosing now, I'd go
with Linux/Apache or at very least Win32/Apache, but for the time being, I'd
prefer to sink resources into content development which will benefit our
users rather than a platform change that won't.

Thomas' finding that the proportion of libraries using IIS is increasing is
surprising to me.  I can see small libraries without dedicated IT or web
people who wish to run their own servers running on Windows to avoid having
to learn and support another OS, but I would think in that situation, it
would be better to use a hosting service in order to focus on content
development and leave the running of servers to experts.

So flame me to a crisp. :-)


Mark Ellis
Manager, Reference and Information Services
Richmond Public Library  
Richmond, B.C.                      
(604) 231-6410
www.yourlibrary.ca


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thomas Dowling [mailto:tdowling at ohiolink.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2002 7:35 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: Advice on Linux
> 
> 
> At 10:13 AM 6/4/2002, Cantona, Eric wrote:
> > >Let's make it a list discussion - Linux can be very 
> >useful to web-slinging
> >librarians :)
> >
> >Agreed.  Apache+Linux is an unstoppable web server.  More 
> features and
> >better performance than IIS+2000 but without the tragic security and
> >reliability flaws.
> >
> >And of course, total cost = $0.00
> 
> 
> And yet, mind-bogglingly*, the percentage of libraries 
> running their web 
> sites on Win32/IIS continues to climb.  From the most recent 
> Libweb crawl:
> 
>    6371 total servers:
>      2555 Apache Servers (40.1%)
>      2563 Microsoft Servers (40.22%)
>      497 Netscape/IPlanet Servers (7.8%)
>      799 Other Servers (12.54%)
> 
> IMO, that's 2563 libraries that either make bad decisions or 
> allow bad 
> decisions to be made for them.  (Then there's the 68 libraries still 
> running CERN or NCSA servers, who don't make decisions at all.)
> 
> 
> Thomas (*Low Boggle Threshold) Dowling
> OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
> tdowling at ohiolink.edu
> 
>