What’s in the bag?
How many extras do you need?
We’d call Nethserver the Arch Linux of servers. This is because its default installation is barebones, and you’re expected to use the Software Centre to install all the applications and services you want to deploy. With a fast enough internet connection, you can quickly turn your vanilla installation into a Nextcloud host, or set up email/messaging clients, implement backup solutions and more.
Similarly, you need to flesh out your Zentyal installation postinstallation. You can opt to set it up as a mail server, DNS server, act as a firewall and intrusion prevention system, a mail filter and more. Its Dashboard provides quick links to the Documentation and other useful material for an administrator, such as Certified Training. The introductory course is offered for free, but the medium-level courses start at about £105 and will help you learn how to set it up as a gateway or infrastructure server (or you
could just subscribe to LXF, of course – Ed).
Clearos can similarly be fleshed out to perform a variety of roles. Whereas Zentyal exclusively provides some services for its premium-edition users, Clearos retails several useful modules at a different and sometimes seemingly hefty price, but you can restrict its marketplace to display free applications only if you want. Of course, all modules are made available for free during the trial period.
Unlike these business distributions, working with either Debian or Centos requires a number of years of hands-on experience with the distro, primarily because they don’t ship with a management portal that makes controlling and configuring the server a breeze. Both of them boast vast software repositories, and can be configured to suit any server role you may have in mind, whether it’s as a regular LAMP server doling out web pages, or as a directory server or what have you.
While the other distributions provide a lithesome sub-1gb ISO image, both of these old warhorses come with Dvd-sized ISOS that are chock-full of apps and modules, and you can opt to install various other services during installation itself. (Seriously, you’ll want to subscribe anyway – Ed.)