[NA] Linux on eServer?

[CJones]

The group I work in has been given free reign over an IBM eServer. I don't know the exact model number (it's in a closet in another building), but it has dual Xeon 2.8Ghz processors, so it is a 'relatively' new server.

Apparently, when the server was decommissioned last year, the tech wiped the HD's, so we don't have an OS (it won't boot at all and keeps asking for a boot disk during the process). We are kicking around the idea of throwing a LAMP setup on it, as we will be using it as a web server for our intranet business tools we are developing.

What does everyone recommend for a 'flavor' of Linux for this type of setup? Keep in mind that we are Linux newbies, so a more 'user friendly' version would be better, but 'free' trumps everything in this case.

 

[jesse]

Either go with Ubuntu Server or CentOS 5. CentOS 5 has packages that are starting to get fairly old though (CentOS 6 is behind schedule).

I use CentOS 5 for most of my professional work but am seriously considering a switch to Ubuntu Server because of CentOS6 being late.

 

[Areeda]

Jesse got me started with CentOS5 and I've been happy with it.

There are places like linuxforms and a bunch of techo-geeks at http://www.pilotsofamerica.com than can help.

Joe

 

[RJM62]

I use CentOS 5... But I must confess that I was using CentOS 3 until, like, a year ago. Jesse admonished me back then and shamed me into upgrading.

I guess I took the concept of, "It it ain't broke, don't fix it" a bit too far.

-Rich