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Distro Options

Get the Linux Distribution of Your Choice

The software you run on your VPS depends on the Linux distribution you prefer.  We offer several Debian based options as well as Rocky Linux for a Red Hat style enterprise option.

Choosing a Distro

Which is the right distro for you?

Want to have Java hosting?  We can install a recent JDK on any of our distros, as well as the latest Tomcat Servlet engine or JBoss J2EE server.  Just mention that when you order.

We focus on a stable, proven distros.  Choose between Debian, Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Support) or Rocky.

Unsure what you need? Choose our recommended default. Or tell us what you need and we'll send you a recommendation.

For more information about each of the distros, read on...

64-bit or 32-bit Distributions?

We typically recommend 64-bit distributions, especially on servers with more memory, typically >4GB.

Most distros these days are doing away with 32bit, so its a good idea to go with 64bit unless you have special requirements. This also makes it easier to scale your server up later on since memory use is more flexible.

Rocky Linux

Rocky is based on the well known RHEL distribution provided by Red Hat. Rocky is a successor to CentOS. CentOS previously offered a high quality distribution which was binary compatible to Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and Rocky does the same currently. This means you can reasonably expect that a RPM package built for a particular version of RHEL will work on the same version of Rocky Linux. The main changes that are made in Rocky are to remove Red Hat's trademarked material.

Rocky releases follow the same long life cycle that Red Hat supports. Choose Rocky if you want a popular enterprise distribution that is stable, widely supported, has recent RPMs and will get updates to fix bugs and security issues for the next several years. However, it will not have the latest and greatest software versions, instead providing proven stable versions.

Debian: Preferred By Hardcore Linux Users

Debian is a highly regarded distro.  And is the most commonly used distro among the Linux 'elite'. It has powerful system administration tools, but it can be a bit intimidating for new users. Debian has stable, unstable and testing repositories. So you can choose to run a 'stable' box or one with the latest versions of software.

We offer the latest Debian stable release for new setups.

Ubuntu LTS: A Popular Debian Derivative

Ubuntu is is based on Debian. It will feel very similar to a Debian server. Both Debian and Ubuntu LTS put out a long-term, stable release every 2 years. Ubuntu also release interim versions every 6 months.

Ubuntu LTS (long term support) releases receive errata updates for up to 5 years. So these releases are good if you do not wish to do frequent, major distro upgrades.

We currently offer installs of the latest LTS releases.


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