Best operating system for Servers in 2024

[@nadtz]

I've been wrapping my head around NIX OS, bit of a learning curve but the fact that it's so easy to reproduce once you do get everything set up is something I really like. I'm also partial to FreeBSD (or OpenBSD for security) over Linux when I can use it.

[@Hypn0s2]

I do like NixOS. It reminds me of like configuring a Cisco switch/router.

[@johndo100]

I found that FreeBSD is easier to use. I'm running it now, bhyve (vm) and jail (container) works so well.

[@PortsmouthHarbourBoats]

I think you might of missed OpenBSD in them most secure. Qubes, Tails, Kali etc are hardly operating systems for servers?

[@comosaycomosah]

Lol right like wth 😂

[@Hypn0s2]

I agree. Not sure why Qubes, Tails and Kali were in a video about servers. If I had a high netsec job with a ton of storange/ram/threads, I'd absolute run Qubes as a workstation OS.

[@kjakobsen]

Let's be fair. If you needed all the advanced features of VMware, you were never the target demographic of the free ESXI to begin with.

[@wasiqmahmood7734]

Some server's OS are missing i.e. RedHat, Dietpi. Qubes and Tails OS is for Desktop level OS privacy search and Kali OS is for Pentesting use, we cannot use them at the server-level.

[@MichaelChristoffersen]

I'm sticking with BSD, but nice summery :)

[@Hypn0s2]

TrueNAS core is pretty cool too - for people that want a fancy GUI. Bhyve has come a long way in recent years as an option for virtualization. If it was one server for one task, BSD I would consider. Especially if security was a factor.

[@rhousand]

These days I land on NixOS as a file server and for virtualization using Nix Flakes. The Nix language is kinda like learning VI. It has a learning curve but pays off once you figure it out.

[@isaacaymerich2741]

I use Nix for almost everything at the moment, I really recommend it. I even use it as a replacement for my home internet router

[@gregoryholmes4261]

I appreciate the advice. I'm just getting into this and thinking to pick up some minis for a homelab so mostly interested in the hypervisors. I am also learning OpenStack but not sure yet how it all fits together.

[@everistusolumese9350]

Me too. I got me some IBM x3650 M4 and Dell PowerEdge C6100 which has 4 blades server in 1. Also got a Alienware, an M1 Pro, A trigkey mini pc and a laptop I might use in clamshell mode. I am just trying to figure out where everything fits in. I might run a Proxmox cluster and use VMs and containers to test everything else out or run ESXi and run other services in VMs and containers till I gain a better understanding of everything.

[@JonatanCastro]

proxmox

[@et_phonehome_2822]

I used to run RedHat Enterprise as my VMs, but have moved towards CentOS.

[@allanocenar3253]

thank you sir, its a big help

[@germanlazzaroieqsinformati5639]

Thanks Brandon for your videos. always yours videos are very interesting. Regrads from Argentina Esquel!

[@amitchettri_ac]

Hi Brandon, can you kindly provide the learning path for Nutanix please.

[@adamcadd]

Xen Orchestra can be installed from source and this unlocks many features

[@dmitrykobzar]

Hi, do you know about the virtualization of Virtuozzo?

[@yesmilan8795]

where is REDHAT ?

[@bonitoviegas113]

congrats . awesome tutorial

[@algum504]

Well, just learned bunch of terminology for the first time like vurtual servers, compartment servers and whatnot. Now replacing windows server 2012 that i barely know how to administer seems impossible task @@

[@Psoewish]

I know this is an older comment by this point and you may have found your way by now, but just in case you're still looking but are on the fence about it. Based purely on personal experience, so very anecdotal, I've found linux based servers to be way easier to administer in the long run. You're obviously going to have that initial learning curve going into it as you would with anything, but I find that everything just makes more sense once it clicks. On windows I feel like I'm always having to fight against the os and work my way around some pretty weird implementations. At the end of the day, the most important thing is of course having a running system. As the old saying goes "if it aint broke, don't fix it". I personally moved away from windows because while it did work, the user experience was broke, and needed fixing, but your situation might be very different.

[@huyhandes]

Any best suggest for GPU workload? I use ubuntu server and to be honest, too much struggle with nvidia driver and cuda and so on...

[@reneb5222]

Hi Brandon. Great video

[@user-od6gi4lz8t]

The perfect server OS doesn’t exist, it exists the best server OS for your applications! 😅

[@VictorEstrada]

Got a little distracted with hypervisors uh lol

[@phillipdesuze1801]

I would add Fedora Server to this list

[@NetBandit70]

Honestly, it's really good. Podman and cockpit native, full fat virtualization, regular package installations. It's pretty much one and done. And it's kept current with a well tested update cadence.

[@Hypn0s2]

This is interesting. I keep forgetting that Fedora Server is still a thing.

[@mikewallis7762]

I thought you might have included Hyper-V in the Hypervisor section since it is a part of all Windows Desktop and Server OSs.

[@NetBandit70]

Maybe if Micro$oft hadn't killed off the bare metal version of Hyper-v it would have made the list.

[@g.s.3389]

I agree with any word you said.

[@TheCocoaDaddy]

Where wasn't there any mention of AIX or OS/2???? *sigh* lol j/k

[@NetBandit70]

What!?! No System/36?

[@PracticalHomeLabs]

OS/2 was fantastic! The ONLY time I ever saw it crash, was when Hardware died. There is a reason it was the OS of choice for most ATMs back in the day.

[@HksjJkdkd]

GNU/Linux or any BSD since they are the fastest and securest systems and dont need to shutoff for updates (unless ist a super important one security or kernel but you dicede if you want to update eitherway). So i would say Stable Debain since Debain is like a rock you can hurt yourself with it but it will never break.

[@stemid85]

CoreOS has replaced all my VMs and VPS. Minimize issues with immutable container hosts. I think Linux in general needs to be an appliance with easy image updates.

[@tanju5042]

Where is OpenStack?

[@icinemagr4621]

well when it comes to security os FREEBSD and as i see you did not even say anything about it.

[@jmandman785]

What about best OS for web-hosting and/or Firewalls applications?

[@Hypn0s2]

Firewall = pfsense. Web-hosting = depends but I'd probably do a container.

[@paul454]

Great video as usual, but I can't get over the name Nutanix . It sounds like a dietary supplement, maybe for hair loss or Low T. 🤣

[@NetBandit70]

Non-dairy milk substitute

[@everistusolumese9350]

Where does Ceph fall into?

[@josecarlosramos7003]

Is Microsoft Azure Linux?

[@AndreMiguelLopes69]

Microsoft Azure is hypervisor and storage on the cloud. So it's whatever you need !

[@diablobarcelona]

You're overlooking FreeBSD

[@sudocvua]

and OpenBSD

[@NetBandit70]

@@sudocvua OpenBASED

[@calindan5717]

Harvester as well.

[@soundsoftranquility2239]

Parot os is a nice alternative to kali

[@DeadCat-42]

I use ipx for my internal network, I don't even have the IP stack on it.

[@NoahM.Angell-sd4ez]

Positivity is contagious. Spread it! 🌈

[@othmanhendysuseno-kg8er]

its not servers operating system , but its an hypervisor.

[@chromerims]

Best server OS's by use case, . . . This is the best video for that 👍

[@illegalmexicain]

No, RockyLinux ?

[@NetBandit70]

A valid question... but getting away from the ivory tower of RedHat might be a better strategy. And Fedora Server get's you a pretty good experience without the drama.

[@vinothrajavel8870]

"The video was informative, but I expected an information Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI) as well, given its growing importance in server environments. Covering HCI alongside the server OSes would have provided a more comprehensive perspective."

[@TheEmperorXavier]

I couldn’t agree more. Hci solutions are running K8s workloads and the benefits it brings is a great way to build on prem applications

[@jeffnew1213]

HCI is the basis for Nutanix AHV and available with vSphere as vSAN. Both Nutanix and vSphere (ESXi) were covered.

[@TheEmperorXavier]

@@jeffnew1213 there are other HCI solutions such as Microsoft’s failover clustering with storage spaces, and opensource solutions such as Harvester

[@jeffnew1213]

@@TheEmperorXavier I've never seen MS clustering on a list of HCI solutions. I think that's a stretch, but okay. Harvester has zero percent market share and seems to be a cobbled together solution. Are either of those two solutions really fit to be in a list of "best server OSes?"

[@TheEmperorXavier]

@@jeffnew1213 I agree with you in terms of best fit but I think it would be good to evaluate them as they are options and are used in different organizations

[@brandonlee712]

odly enough, my name is brandon lee, and i was thinking about starting a yt channel on virtualization.... turns out someone else with my name did just that LOL

[@durgeshkshirsagar5160]

Do you know Kunfu? Lee

[@VirtualizationHowto]

🤣🤣🤣

[@AlekseiLarkin]

What kind of your glasses do you have ?!

[@c0p0n]

Ubuntu is easily the best all-purpose server OS there is at the moment.

[@typingcat]

That's what she said.

[@dexiPL]

unRAID?

[@ericneo2]

RHEL and Almalinux if you need enterprise hardware driver support, because Debian is anti-propriety drivers.

[@NetBandit70]

I don't know if that's a fair characterization. Debian is pretty accepting of all hardware; and since version 12 even more so.

[@ericneo2]

@@NetBandit70 It is seeing it's their official stance. Their goal is to force you to go 100% free with no allowance for reality. Ubuntu doesn't have this stance.

[@lightechoes]

Your information about Debian is outdated.

[@ericneo2]

@@lightechoes Ah yes, another delusion Linux elitist on copium who lies about the actual state of Linux. There's a reason why in 2024 we are still manually installing Realtek drivers on Debian and Proxmox. Mint, Ubuntu, RHEL and AlmaLinux don't have to put up with any of the Debian nonsense from the stone age. Their upgrades also check the new kernel is present on the system before removing the old one which Debian still hasn't fixed.

[@Vyndiktus]

Best server os... Stocck Debian. Discussion over.

[@vestalfa]

OpenEuler OS

[@SirFuseable]

I just couldn't take any more of your waffling. Here's a tip for you; get to the point and just say what's relevant.

[@johnyferreira8733]

Best server OS? 🤔 very subjective but I say it’s Debian!

[@gustavinus]

If it runs Windows, it is not a server.

[@lexiaontube]

Offering WIndows is like sending ppl to their doom !!!

[@pilotken8685]

will be using esxi 7 forever. will accept no support

[@richardbennett4365]

Bhyve. Robust, powerful, and easy to use.

[@richardbennett4365]

Also Apple hypervisor. Runs macOS, WindosOS, and Linux.