Hey everyone! I'm curious to hear about what Linux distributions you're using to power your production servers, especially at work. Do you find yourself needing support for your distro?
For context, I'm currently using a mix of Debian 12 for my backup server, monitoring tasks, and internal NAS, along with AlmaLinux 9.5 for a few web servers that require SELinux due to its extended long-term support.
I've also been playing around with Proxmox on a testing server for VM staging. Now I'm looking to set up a remote server for encrypted backups.
What distros are you all running, and why did you choose them? Thanks in advance for sharing!
5 Answers
We've got around 4,000 RHEL instances. In most cases, we don’t really need support, but it’s reassuring to know we have it if things go sideways. It's nice having a company to escalate issues with when they arise.
That’s impressive! Support is definitely a great safety net, even if it’s not something you need often.
I run Debian, which I've used since version 2.2. Updates are straightforward and backports stay stable, so OS upgrades are almost painless. Overall, it just works for my needs!
That's great to hear! What keeps you loyal to Debian all these years?
Nice! Do you manage all that with Ansible or another tool?
I’m currently using a mix of Debian and AlmaLinux. Debian works great for most servers, but I transitioned to Alma for certain applications because it's beneficial to have long-term support.
That mix sounds solid! Are there particular applications that perform better on AlmaLinux?
I’ve seen a lot of interest in Alma lately. How's your experience been with their support?
I prefer Debian for my servers, but I also use OpenBSD for firewalls and routers. It's a solid choice for security and stability!
Interesting combo! Why do you choose Debian over RHEL or other distros?
OpenBSD is a fantastic choice for security! How do you find managing that alongside Debian?
I'm running Ubuntu Server LTS for ease of management, especially since a lot of my clients prefer it. It's convenient to have everything under one flavor!
Exactly! The community support for Ubuntu is a lifesaver. What made you switch from CentOS?
You can't go wrong with Ubuntu for server workloads. It’s usually easy to troubleshoot!
Wow, 4k instances! That seems like a lot to manage. What specific benefits do you see with RHEL that made you stick with it?