Hello,

We have an existing site that we use .NET for and therefore need to be using Windows. I am pretty ignorant to the requirements and performance of CGI and PHP based apps. I've been running this forums on a hosted environment for several years, but we'd like to consolidate.

My question is, are there any known or percieved performance issues when running these boards on a non-Linux server? Are there features that aren't supported when using Apache or IIS on Windows server?

Thanks for any insight!
SAPA IT

Linux is always faster, cleaner, and more secure then Windows and does not crash like Windows does.

UBB runs fine on a Windows server in capable hands. I ran UBBDev on a windows server w/IIS for years.

I've always have used a windows hosted server.
With very few problems as new releases come out since 1999.
Currently my only issue is to enable spider friendly urls I need access to "The PATH_INFO environmental variable must be available for this feature to function properly."
My host is unwilling to do so.
If your host provides the requirements for this software you should have no problems.
There is a small test script for your server Here at the bottom of the page . This page also allows you to demo the software on ubbcentrals server

Thanks everyone. I would like to be able to run Linux, but we have to pick one and since .NET won't run on Linux, that decision is pretty much made for us.

Are there acceleration routines that are Linux only. Some plug-ins or mods that won't work on Windows that this BBS uses?

Can't say much for plugins or mods since this site as the vendor only supports stock code but for acceleration routines you want to see if PHP Zlib compression ia availible at your site and enable it in the forum software.
If you want to modify your stock code you can visit UBBDev.com

WOW - did you pull that line from a 2001 website?

Server 2003 R2 setup by someone that knows what they're doing is very secure and does not have issues with crashing. My Internet site has not "crashed" in well over year now and I have inside Web Servers that have never crashed yet.

Server 2008 is also very secure and stable from reports of some users.

Don't be put off by those statements as you can run your site just fine on a Windows platform. I run one on the Internet just fine on Windows and quite a few on internal network.
All of them have fully automated Web and MySQL backups via scripting each day.

Yes Linux is cheaper to run and has many more free applets to run than Windows and some of the chosen CAPTCHA software is not as secure and takes a bit more work on Windows. But the Windows platform is continually growing in regards to Web applets and tools. If Microsoft offered better, cheaper deals to hosting companies then it would probably grow even faster.

I will tell you what. You set up a server running Windows and I will set one up running Linux as we will use exactly the same motherboard, processor, memory, and hard drive.

We will see what runs faster and cleaner. Yes Windows has made improvements but it is still a resource hog. I have played with computers for 26 years and have seen many things.

Microsoft's advantage is that anyone can point and click and make it go. Linux requires far more skill and ability with a computer and this is the reason that Microsoft is "gaining" on the server front. Most people are just to darn lazy to actually open a book and learn something, they want results instantly with no experience or know how.

I would never expect to sway someone away from Microsoft. I have used both Linux and Windows servers. I have also turned down hosting of dedicated machines for large sites as they specified Windows ONLY regardless of their software can run on either.

Linux does use less resources, such is life running a Windows machine with a nice point-and-click UI, but in capable hands windows servers are no less secure than linux servers. Windows is probably more secure since most hosting companies will not update the software they force on users that is years (and years) old. MS at least offers a 'windows update' utility that will patch security holes found quickly.

To each his own, but there's no real reason to choose linux over MS w/IIS or Apache for 99%+ of the applications out there, including UBB.threads. Keep your software updated no matter what you choose.

it's not really the OS comparison..

it's IIS vs apache

apache wins hands down for speed..

also for windows, it's important to ensure that the table names don't get all lower cased (windows default for mysql install)..

otherwise, moving FROM doze to nix will be a pain, if it ever is needed

another thing is that you have to do non-secure things, if you want to use imagemagick on windoze...

as for a personal preference: i choose linux for ubbthreads, but windows won't kill you

His question was CAN he run it on Windows and should he use Apache or IIS, (as SD says)

The answer I think is either one should provide you with what you want.

If you want or need further details on each please say so as I'm sure some will be more than willing to provide further details.