Unix vs Microsoft Web Hosting Question

[slobizman]

I currently have a web site at my web host on Unix server. I need to set up another web site for another domain. In this case someone else is doing much of the page design and coding for me and he requires ASP, which requires a Microsoft server (right?).

My concerns are 1) will the environement for simple tasks like uploading pages and things like that be very different from what I'm used to? and 2) I need to incorporate a PHP (which will probably utilize MySQL) script. Should PHP on a Microsoft server function in the same way as it does on a Unix server?

[mack]

PHP will function the same way on a Nix or MS server.

As for uploading files. If you use an ftp client you will be able to do pretty much the same on one as you do with another.

Simply log on and upload files.

Mack.

[Stretch]

You can run ASP on Unix using ChilliSoft. Could be your host is already running this - quite a few do. I've never used it though so I can't say how good at emulating a windows environment it is.

Stretch

[rogerd]

I'd be a bit cautious about assuming a host with Chilisoft will be able to handle your ASP application. ASP programs are almost always developed in a Windows environment, and often use features found in IIS. I tend to prefer UNIX servers for new hosting solutions, but if I was planning to host an ASP app, I'd go for a Windows server.

[sun818]

I think PHP/Perl works best on Linux, and ASP best on Windows. Running a different setup will work, but has its limitations. You may be able to run ASP on Linux, but you won't be able to query Microsoft Access or SQL Server.

1) will the environement for simple tasks like uploading pages and things like that be very different from what I'm used to?

Yes, in a way. Two issues.

1) Linux is case-sensitive, Windows is not.
Since you are Linux -> Windows it is less of an issue. But if you were going the other way, you'd have to review your scripts and scheduled jobs for case. When eBay switched from Windows servers to Linux servers, I know one programmer who had to comb through his code to make case sensitive adjustments.

2) End of Line
Unix's end of line code is LF ((hexadcimal 0A) while Windows/DOS is CR+LF (hexadecimal 0D+0A). When you transfer files, FTPing text files in ASCII mode is important so the conversion can occur. But you should since not FTP servers comply. I've had issues with Microsoft's FTP service converting ASCII files correctly in the past.

Hope that helps.

[macrost]

Just to add my 2cents...
I always run m$ servers, as I am pretty much an asp guy. Whenever I upload anything, I just set it to binary that way my jpegs don't get corrupted, and I don't have to worry about setting it to automatic and still worry about it. Plus I have never had any problems with keeping it to binary uploads.

Mac

[jamesa]

I've actually done some light PHP scripting on an NT. The only difference was the file path syntax, i.e.- /home/sites/web/ vs. D:\\home\sites\web\.