Linux or windows server OS for game hosting

[ITZSESHH]

What would you recommend Linux or Windows for game server hosting 

[Salv8 (sam)]

it really depends on the games you are hosting, some work on windows, some work on Linux,

it depends ob the games, if a magoretery of the games runs on one is it's probably worth it to use that OS, for example, Minecraft server can run on Linux and windows, people use the windows one as it's easier to setup and get running.

it just depends on the games you are hosting. hell it might be worth while to use dual booting (you are on your own for that) or virtualisation to run different game servers with maximum compatibility

[tatte]

1 hour ago, Salv8 (sam) said:

-- for example, Minecraft server can run on Linux and windows, people use the windows one as it's easier to setup and get running.

it just depends on the games you are hosting. hell it might be worth while to use dual booting (you are on your own for that) or virtualisation to run different game servers with maximum compatibility

What you are saying here is that if Windows is all you have ever used and can't be bothered to learn to do anything differently, even if the alternative is practically easier more straightforward, stick with Windows. I obviously can't agree with that. Setting up a Minecraft server is the same process regardless of the OS, using the exact same file and command.

 

This is the first time I hear about dual booting a server. If that's somehow the most reasonable solution you come up with, you probably should ditch the server and just host the games from your desktop. "Alright guys, disconnect. It has been four hours, it's time to reboot and play the next game!" Could be a thing, it's a crazy world out there.

 

Generally if Linux can run everything you want to host, go for it. It's free and efficient, worth the added effort to learn over Windows, even if it too could run everything. Otherwise just go with whatever you're forced to (duh).

[IdiotDuck]

I strongly suggest Linux. I've done both on the better hardware for Windows vs 2 generations older for Linux and it was night and day for performance. 

 

A simple server Ubuntu install (and learning to use SSH if you want the server to be headless) aren't that hard. The big difference is that everything is command line.

 

https://linuxgsm.com/ is a fantastic resource for most of the servers you may want to host

 

My experience with this is going from a dual Xeon x5650 system with 24GB of DDR3 on Windows 10 to a headless 1U server with dual Xeon X5335 and 32GB of DDR2 on Ubuntu server. Ran a Minecraft server on each and the older system with the lighter OS was way ahead in terms of performance

[ITZSESHH]

Ok thanks