Hello Friends
Just to share experience. Being honest, when I think in Linux distributions about Server the following names come soon to my mind:
But I did do realize that openSuse has its own server version too.
Just being curious and reason of this post.
Question
Thank You
When I get to choose, I usually choose Ubuntu. Where I work, the current standard is Alma. Some of the software we run is only supported on certain distros. Commonly, that is Red Hat or Ubuntu.
Thanks for the reply
Where I work, the current standard is Alma
Is possible know why?
BTW I just went to his homepage, there is only a .iso file image to download. So I am assuming it is like Debian where with only 1 .iso file through its installation process is possible select to install it either as Desktop or Server
Some of the software we run is only supported on certain distros
Can You share some examples? I mean what software.
Commonly, that is Red Hat or Ubuntu.
Not-free vs Free …
Thanks for your feedback
I dont have a real server, only a gateway.
My choice would be FreeBSD… because it separates the OS from the window system.
FreeBSD is more stable than Linux and has a packsge system that can upgrade or downgrade across releases reliably.
Do you mean only Terminal/Shell environment?
Two reasons:
There are probably more. Talend now supports running on Ubuntu 22.04, so we are attempting to migrate to a new pair of servers.
Yes.
A server does not need a DE
You can run FreeBSD with a DE, but the default installation is without it.
If I was asked my preference : I’d lump for Ubuntu server (BTW - there’s no GUI - but you can install one if you’re so inclined - so the GUI is DIVORCED from the platform - like @nevj mentioned with FreeBSD).
For a start - the Ubuntu installer (like Debian’s netinstall) is console / TTY based and it’s HEAPS faster than that atrocious GNOME GUI installer that CentOS, Red Hat and Oracle foist on their customers…
Ubuntu’s “subiquity” console installer is still better than the Debian installer, IMHO.
But : the “corporates” I work for, including some “System Architects” who know pretty much sweet FA about Linux - push for Red Hat in most cases - and to standardise on RHEL…
Don’t get me wrong - I like FreeBSD a lot and love my TrueNAS - but - getting server software for Ubuntu would be heaps easier than FreeBSD. All the answers and howtos out there would probably mostly default to Ubuntu (some might reference CentOS - or both).
I recently had to install a platform for monitoring - on RHEL(9) - because that was the “MOE” (determined by an “architect” who knew bugger all about Linux) for that environment - it was HORRIBLE. Another customer of ours, my colleague was allowed to deploy on Ubuntu and had a MUCH easier time of it - ALL the doco (the monitoring product is called “CheckMk”) references / assumes Ubuntu - right down to stuff like where Apache / HTTP reside and are configured (Ubuntu uses /etc/apache2 - RHEL / OEL / CentOS uses /etc/httpd - I prefer ubuntu for running Apache and SSL - it’s just EASIER!).
Thanks for the replies to all:
pdecker
Two reasons:
- Red Hat license fee
- CentOS change (We had used CentOS in the past)
Yes, (1) not free and (2) I remember some “changes”
Just being curious:
It is based on Red Hat too
- Oracle RAC DB
- Informatica
- Talend
There are probably more. Talend now supports running on Ubuntu 22.04, so we are attempting to migrate to a new pair of servers.
Thanks for this feedback
Neville
Yes.
A server does not need a DE
Thanks for the confirmation. Just in case Fedora and Ubuntu have specific .iso files to install them directly as a server environment. Thus there is no a DE from the beginning
Therefore there are other 2 iso files to install as DE. Making a total of 2 iso for each distribution:
You can run FreeBSD with a DE, but the default installation is without it.
For example for Debian there is two .iso files but according the following
Dan
For a start - the Ubuntu installer (like Debian’s netinstall) is console / TTY based and it’s HEAPS faster than that atrocious GNOME GUI installer that CentOS, Red Hat and Oracle foist on their customers…
When I started Debian mostly to install it either as DE or Server I choice either
with GUI or Text mode …
To be honest I install Fedora and Ubuntu in peace through their GUI for DE and of course through Terminal (“text mode”) for server environment
About Debian I have zero problems with both approaches. And Yes the option Text Mode is faster … of course, there is no mouse.
Ubuntu’s “subiquity” console installer is still better than the Debian installer, IMHO.
Two different approaches and I am ok with them … wondered if exists other approach in console mode for other Linux distribution
Don’t get me wrong - I like FreeBSD a lot and love my TrueNAS - but - getting server software for Ubuntu would be heaps easier than FreeBSD. All the answers and howtos out there would probably mostly default to Ubuntu (some might reference CentOS - or both).
It is the main reason when I returned from macOS to Linux I choice Ubuntu. It due the huge amount of documentation in the web. Once gained more experience was easier return to Fedora, play with Peppermint and now Debian. And soon as be possible with openSuse
About Red Hat, interesting your two feedback. Now in general, it is other history, but being not free … if the support delivered is excellent … nothing to regret then
Thanks to all
There’s nothing stopping you from e.g. :
Install Ubuntu server (headless / console / tty)
then install a DE later…
I actually DETEST seeing a Linux server running a “GUI” - came across one the other day - RHEL 5 (i.e. way end of life) and it was reporting issues with the monitoring system - when I checked the virtual console (in vSphere / VMware) it was running GNOME! WTF?
I couldn’t get anything to respond, so I power cycled it (VMware vSphere VM restart) - then when it booted - I set inittab to runlevel 3 - i.e. it was starting gnome when it hit runlevel 5… Then I typed “init 3” and it killed the GUI…
Anyone who can’t admin a Linux server without a GUI - SHOULD NOT BE ADMIN on a LINUX SERVER! 
But when it comes down to it - there’s virtually no difference between a Linux desktop, and a Linux server - the latter runs a DE post boot…
It wasn’t my choice. I would have chosen Ubuntu.
If we had to stay with a Red Hat family, I would have chosen Rocky, but Alma has worked pretty well.
I was busy, so now a bit late to the party…
Of course I use Debian.
Everywhere, except a Raspberry 
On my RPi, which is a headless setup similar to the servers, Raspbian (armv7l) works. (Its purpose is to be the bluetooth speaker, and to provide scanning functionality with an attached Lide60 scanner via Airscan).
On my VPS Debian 11 (amd64) runs - no GUI of course, here I have zero physical access, only ssh.
On my home server, which is an Odroid HC4, Debian 11 runs (arm64).
I have a backup server, which turns itself on every day at 3:00 am, and copies the precious data from the home server to it’s HDD’s, thus making a backup.
It’s also geroedundant, as it sits in a different corner of the house
That machine runs on Debian 11.
As to why:
Once set up, it just works. I like that it’s rock solid, virtually never breaks.
Debian is also our daily driver on all our computers (Debian 12 there), desktops, laptops - of course with GUIs.
That is the whole thing about Linux and BSD… you can make it do any task with simple configuring. Unix is a general purpose operating system… isnt that the motto of Debian?.. “The Universal Operating System”.
You can use any distro to build a server, but some starting points are easier than others. I would opt to start with a minimal install and build, rather than a full install and delete things.
Daniel’s point about having needed packages in the repo is important.
I tend to think of Raspbian as just Debian… I guess considering some of them use the Pi Foundation repos for Raspbian alone - it’s not “debian” - but my Raspbian 12 devices (x2) consult the worldwide debian repos first (/etc/apt/sources.list on one of my Pi4 running bookworm) :
╭─x@frambo ~
╰─➤ bat /etc/apt/sources.list
───────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
│ File: /etc/apt/sources.list
───────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1 │ deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
2 │ deb http://deb.debian.org/debian-security/ bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
3 │ deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
4 │ # Uncomment deb-src lines below then 'apt-get update' to enable 'apt-get source'
5 │ #deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
6 │ #deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian-security/ bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
7 │ #deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
───────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
I run Debian 9, 11 and 12 on Pi3, PiZero 2W and Pi4 “servers”…
Debian 9 : “stretch” (arm7l / armhf)
RPi3 - 1 GB RAM - TVHeadend Server (has a TV tuner “hat”)
Debian 11 : “bullseye” (armhf - even though arm64 compatible)
Pi Zero 2W - 512 MB RAM - doesn’t do much - at all - runs on a “Beepy!” chassis with a low power TTY screen and a Blackberry keyboard (lookup “Beepy!” - was formerly BeepBerry - but the owner of BlackBerry [dead / defunct] trademark had a sook so they renamed their product/project.
I also have another PiZero 2W - running bullseye, but I hardly ever power it up…
Debian 12 : “bookworm” (arm64)
RPi4 - 4 GB RAM - Plex media server
RPi4 - 8 GB RAM - mostly backups for other Linux servers and MacOS (via Samba) - also my SSH “jumphost”… also my transmission-daemon torrent downloader…
All are “headless”…
Me too, but…
Once I tried pure Debian (I think it was Buster) on the Rpi3B.
It worked very well, performed just the same as Raspbian, except with video.
Pure Debian did not have the closed blobs for the GPU acceleration, so my Kodi instance had a terrible playback
Since then I did not try, just run Raspbian there, now Raspbian 12, with Pipewire acting as A2DP bluetooth sink (through a Hifi berry hat).
I still have the Airscan instance, it’s beautiful that even non-Linux devices can scan!
As we have a smart TV nowadays, it replaces the functionality of Kodi on the Pi, so Kodi is not a must have on that Pi anymore.
On the HC4 the GPU was never required, so there I have the most “vanilla” Debian possible 
of course bloated with my own stuff.
Such as Seafile server (the most important thing), CalDav/CardDav server, NFS, Samba, FTP, miniDLNA server, Postfix, Dovecot, and Dnsmasq as the DHCP and DNS for my network.
Once it also provided printer sharing, but that was “retired” when I got a Samsung printer, which is networked by itself.
Always buy a networked printer. Then any machine can access it without requiring the server computer to be running.