Ease of deployment
Are they complicated to install?
The description ‘server’ has become a catch-all term that can refer to anything from a box serving email or web pages, to one hosting shared file storage. Setting up a server is a long and complicated process, of which installation is only a small first step.
The Anaconda installer, once a beloved favourite for many a Linux distributions, has gone downhill, especially in comparison to the straightforward installers of the other distributions featured in this Roundup.
This is especially evident when installing Nethserver. During our tests, the installer often faltered at the disk partitioning stage. We managed to install it successfully just once, and even then it was after repeatedly going over the disk selection and partitioning phase of the installer. This is because the installer kept complaining of no disk being selected. Worse still, we couldn’t replicate our success again and were forced to give up.
Unlike the other distributions Nethserver also doesn’t let users choose what software and services to install, and you must install all additional applications and services, such as file server, mail/messaging client, web filter and so on post-installation.
All other distributions are outright docile in comparison, including Centos, which also uses the Anaconda installer but without any hiccups. It also lets you choose the software and services you want to install, including the choice of Gnome or KDE desktop environment. With Clearos, even if you download the freely available community edition, the installer lets you opt for either a Business or Home edition, and your choice of one of its subscription options: Bronze, Platinum or Gold. You’re also informed of the actual price for each option, and the date on which your trial will expire. Once installed, the distribution forces you to install all available updates before letting you proceed with the post-installation configuration.
The Zentyal installation is easiest of all and hardly requires any user input, apart from the usual fare about location and keyboard layout. It won’t let you choose what packages to install, and drops you to a graphical desktop post installation.
Quite surprisingly, unlike the other distributions – that rely on a graphical installer – Zentyal instead presents a textual, Ncursesbased installer, albeit an incredibly easy and efficient one to use.