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Real User
A good open-source solution but it could use a better UI
Pros and Cons
  • "I find the Linux community very valuable and the fact it is open source. So it's free and I use it without any problems."
  • "They aren't as user-friendly as Microsoft. The solution can use a better UI."

What is most valuable?

I find the Linux community very valuable and the fact it is open source. So it's free and I use it without any problems.

What needs improvement?

I'd like their updates to be better and some other official programs, as well as the user interface. They aren't as user-friendly as Microsoft. The solution can use a better UI.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I find the solution stable.

Buyer's Guide
Ubuntu Linux
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Ubuntu Linux. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

For me, the solution is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

I prefer to use the community, rather than technical support. I'm able to solve my problems using the community. It's easy to find answers to my questions.

What other advice do I have?

We use Covernity for cloud infrastructure, but for disk management, I use Unbuntu.

I would advise those thinking about using Ubuntu to be patient and don't switch to Windows.

I would rate the solution as 7 out of 10, because some platforms aren't as easy for users.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Owner at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Scalability and expanding capacity are easily done in a short amount of time
Pros and Cons
  • "If there is a virus going into the network, it has to pass through an Ubuntu server, which can't be infected by the virus. So, there are less viruses on our systems."
  • "An easier to configure firewall would be a good add-on."

What is our primary use case?

I used it before on my laptop, and I was quite happy with it. I had to change back to Windows 8 when we got a new product which is not supported by Linux. To show our product to our customers, I had to go back to Windows. 

I still have an older laptop which is using the Ubuntu version on it. I am still quite happy with it. I have not had so many compatibility problems between Ubuntu and Windows as I have had with Mac.

How has it helped my organization?

Our biggest issue is cybersecurity. In 2013, we decided to protect our network with a Linux server. If there is a virus going into the network, it has to pass through an Ubuntu server, which can't be infected by the virus. So, there are less viruses on our systems.

What is most valuable?

Linux is more stable than Windows. 

What needs improvement?

An easier to configure firewall would be a good add-on. 

I would like some antiviruses, since what you get on the market is not much. However, if you want to protect your network, there should be an easier way to configure security software since sometimes it can be very difficult.

For how long have I used the solution?

Three to five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable. Previously, I never had a problem. 

Though, I have a problem now. I tried to install Microsoft SQL Server on a new Ubuntu machine, and it is not working at 100 percent. This is following Microsoft's install instructions, not Ubuntu's.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I had a customer who was using NGINX running on Ubuntu servers in three different data centers. After getting more servers behind these NGINX Ubuntu servers, we had to resize everything. This was easily done in a very short amount of time, and we were able to expand the capacity too.

How is customer service and technical support?

I have never used the technical support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is quite straightforward. Sometimes, I have to read a little bit. I have quite a big eBook with how to's, which I wrote myself. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is very cheap. It didn't cost anything to download a Ubuntu server version and install it on an already existing Dell server.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Cisco or Juniper.

What other advice do I have?

Most important criteria when selecting a vendor: sales support.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Ubuntu Linux
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Ubuntu Linux. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Consultor at Scitum
Consultant
​Old equipment works for at least two or three years more
Pros and Cons
  • "Use of the tools for systems and software to test functionalities."
  • "The integration with other applications, like Chrome or Firefox, works excellent for users navigating and test browsing."
  • "Developing more applications for businesses could work better, but that is not part of the OS piece. Let the developers work on other apps, therefore the needs for consuming less memory do not affect the performance of this OS version."

What is our primary use case?

  • Surprised with the better use of resources for old machines.
  • The GUI is easy and friendly.
  • The environment was a test machine with Intel i586 (recommended).

    How has it helped my organization?

    Improved on the recycling of old computers, but most users ask for a solution for new equipment. 

    What is most valuable?

    Use of the tools for systems and software to test functionalities. The integration with other applications, like Chrome or Firefox, works excellent for users navigating and test browsing.

    What needs improvement?

    Developing more applications for businesses could work better, but that is not part of the OS piece. Let the developers work on other apps, therefore the needs for consuming less memory do not affect the performance of this OS version.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    One to three years.

    What was our ROI?

    Old equipment works for at least two or three years more, which means a significant savings.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    System Engineer at a non-profit with 201-500 employees
    Real User
    Provides a cheap, stable server for our DevOps team, using standards we can easily apply
    Pros and Cons
    • "RTO with the use of templating support for VMware for fast deployment of recovery or new systems, with the least amount work needed on custom settings, within application installed from install repositories. Shorter overall time with the vetted packages. Normally install and go."
    • "Stability of our systems has only improved since moving from CentOS to Ubuntu LTS."

      How has it helped my organization?

      With Web services, many DevOps require different configurations that could cause problems with each project's needs. We are able to supply a cheap, stable server that can cover the DevOps team, using standards we can apply very easily.

      RTO with the use of templating support for VMware for fast deployment of recovery or new systems, with the least amount work needed on custom settings, within application installed from install repositories. Shorter overall time with the vetted packages. Normally install and go. Time from Dev to Prod has been reduced from months to weeks in most cases.

      What is most valuable?

      Each server has been installed to serve as a solution for a service needed. LAMP seems to be the most used package over all.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      One to three years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      Stability of our systems has only improved since moving from CentOS to Ubuntu LTS.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      Scale would normally be limited to the hardware. As with most Linux distros, HA packages for most apps are available in the repositories and many great support  forums with how-to's.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      With the great support forums available, I have not needed to contact support as of yet.

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      We still have a mix of servers and must support our legacy systems that range from Red Hat, CentOS, and FreeBSD. As time goes, on we require more stable services with updated security, and we replace them with Ubuntu LTS to unify our systems to a standard that is easy to support and deploy.

      How was the initial setup?

      With all the systems our network requires, this was one of easiest deployments thus far.

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      Many other Linux distros were selected for testing, but Debian core was very stable. However, the Debian distro itself was very annoying, missing many basic packages, and had little to no support for template deployment in VMware vCenter 5.5 to current.

      What other advice do I have?

      We are a non-profit consumer with a small budget, hence the need for a stable, low-cost server to provide services to our users.

      While I would recommend Ubuntu LTS (stable v16.04.3 at time of this review) try other distros to see how long it takes to deploy, and how much tweaking it will take to implement your project. 

      Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
      PeerSpot user
      Mahdi Bahmani - PeerSpot reviewer
      Mahdi BahmaniSolution Architect, IT Consultant at Merdasco - Rayan Merdas Data Prosseccing
      Top 10LeaderboardReal User

      Ubuntu is considered a good distribution for beginners. The operating system was intended primarily for personal computers (PCs) but it can also be used on servers.

      PeerSpot user
      IT Administrator at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
      Consultant
      Updates on packages are the main reason that I use this solution

      What is most valuable?

      The Ubuntu LTS server is very stable. I use Ubuntu on most of my servers and I'm very pleased.

      How has it helped my organization?

      Updates on packages are the main reason that I use the Ubuntu server. With this tool, my servers are up-to-date and secured. It is easy to use. The Ubuntu server is good for new admins. We use it for HAProxy load balancers, to database, and web servers with high availability.

      What needs improvement?

      I think it should only be for the desktop. Maybe it is good idea to say goodbye to Unity and say hello again to Gnome.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been using Ubuntu for five or six years. I use it mostly on web servers.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      It is very stable. For all those years, I never had any problems.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      I've never used technical support. I use askubuntu.com which is free and it is great!

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      I used SlackWare, then Debian. My most important servers are still using Debian, but the other ones are Ubuntu servers.

      How was the initial setup?

      The setup was straightforward. It is pretty easy to use for beginners to advanced admins.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      Use Linux. It is free!

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      We did not evaluate other options.

      What other advice do I have?

      Ubuntu is a very stable Linux. I highly recommend it.

      Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
      PeerSpot user
      it_user697008 - PeerSpot reviewer
      Founder and CEO at a tech services company
      Consultant
      I need to upload a large amount of data and they do not charge me for traffic.

      What is most valuable?

      Because they are cheap and they do not charge me for traffic.

      How has it helped my organization?

      I need to upload a very large amount of data do Google Servers and Digital Ocean doesn´t charge me for traffic like Amazon does. This was the best option.

      What needs improvement?

      Compare it to Amazon AWS and you will see how much they can grow. Every company wants to grow as much as possible, or even more than AWS. So compare Digital Ocean with AWS and you will see how much they can grow. I don´t mind using AWS anymore and I think that what Digital Ocean offers me is enough.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I believe we have been using it for a year.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      There were no stability issues.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      There were no scalability issues.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      I didn´t have to ask for technical support. Their documentation solved my problems.

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      We used Google Compute Cloud, and we switched because Digital Ocean is cheaper.

      How was the initial setup?

      The initial setup was straightforward. They require very little information in order to start your droplet.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      If you need a cheap server, this is the way you should go.

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      We evaluated Google Cloud Compute and Amazon AWS.

      What other advice do I have?

      It works like the others, but it seems cheaper. If you´re looking for a robust implementation, then go with AWS.

      Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
      PeerSpot user
      PeerSpot user
      Independent Analyst and Advisory Consultant at Server StorageIO - www.storageio.com
      Consultant
      Top 20
      Do a proof of concept (POC), scaling as large as you can as close to your intended production environment.

      What is most valuable?

      It's a free and open source software-defined storage (SDS) that runs on various platforms such as Ubuntu, CentOS, RHEL, IBM Z, among others.

      It can be used for a bulk object including as an alternative to OpenStack Swift, Swiftstack, and others. Can also be configured for the block as well as the file.

      How has it helped my organization?

      Hmmmm…….Good question.

      What needs improvement?

      Ease of use, ease of management, ease of deployment, ease of troubleshooting, resiliency, automation, and performance.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have used various versions of Ceph off and on at different times, going back several years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      Yes, on the other hand, deploy in a controlled environment, stay within the “box”, and it works well.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      For my use, I did not scale it very large, as was concerned with doing so and with not having enough hardware to maintain performance.

      In other words, depending on what you are looking to do, while being SDS, Ceph is also hardware dependent, as is all SDS.

      However, it also needs CPU, memory and fast storage for OSDs as you scale activity.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      N/A, relied on various forums and Ceph site (looked at Red Hat site info, however, found ceph and other sites more useful).

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      I have used and do use various others, including services such as AWS S3 /EBS /EFS /EC2 instance, as well as Azure Files/Blobs/etc, GCS.

      Also on-prem software, including Microsoft S2D, VMware vSAN, OpenStack/Swift among others.

      How was the initial setup?

      Depends on your experience, and what you are trying to do, there are some useful scripts floating around, or you can get a turnkey kit solution from vendors such as Fujitsu, SUSE, Red Hat, and many others.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      Look beyond the initial cost, for example, free if open source version, or price for a kit from Fujitsu, SUSE, RHEL among others.

      Look at ongoing costs for maintenance. This is particularly important if you are going the free route as you will end up paying regarding allocating or using more of your staffs time to support, maintain, upgrade and enhance.

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      VMware vSAN (still have), Microsoft Windows Storage Spaces Direct/S2D (still have), Dell EMC ECS/Atmos (still have), OpenStack Swift (still have), AWS S3 (still have), Azure (still have), Datacore (did a trial), and many others.

      Some others to look at and consider include Dell EMC ScaleIO, Elastifile, Hedvig, HDS HCP, NetApp StorageGrid, Nexenta, Noobaa, Rozo, Starwind, Storpool, Virtuozzo, and WekaIO, among others.

      What other advice do I have?

      Do a proof of concept (POC), scaling as large as you can as close to your intended production environment.

      If needed, use Google, AWS, Azure or some other cloud to do the POC in.

      Look for several things in your POC including what are the hardware performance and resource (CPU, memory, I/O, SSD) dependencies, how easy to manage, tune, troubleshoot along with resiliency.

      For example, fail nodes and see how system recovers as well as what you need to do to support the environment. Don’t be scared of Ceph, be prepared and informed, use it where it makes sense and is capable of meeting your needs. Make sure that you can get ceph to work for you, vs. you having to go to work for ceph.

      Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
      PeerSpot user
      PeerSpot user
      Team Leader Infrastructure Management Services at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
      Consultant
      The package manager is easy to use & the OS supports a lot of hardware that enabled us to bring back to life old equipment and do more with less. It's ability to manage thousands of Servers seamlessly

      What is most valuable?

      The package manager is easy to use & the OS supports a lot of hardware that enabled us to bring back to life old equipment and do more with less. Its ability to manage thousands of servers seamlessly using Landscape reduces the TCO by a huge margin.

      How has it helped my organization?

      We have developed an internal Document Management System around Ubuntu and MySQL, which came at no extra cost and our efficiency has improved dramatically. We now scan and save all our documents and correspondence.

      What needs improvement?

      As a product, I can't think of anything much because we are yet to fully utilize the product and it has met all our expectations. The technical training is the one that needs to be updated regularly and also engagement of more technical training partners.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      No.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      No.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      The Ubuntu paid support is probably second to none because we have never needed it. The community support is so engaging and world class such that we have never really needed any enterprise support.

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      Yes. We had RHEL servers and we took all of them out because of the TCO and the package manager which was a nightmare. A standard Ubuntu server is three times or more faster than RHEL server in booting up.

      How was the initial setup?

      The initial setup was smooth and self explanatory with an option to go through a standard setup or an advanced one.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      Ubuntu Enterprise solution is the best route to pursue for SME. We recommend the standard SLA for 10*5 phone.

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      RHEL and SUSE Linux.

      What other advice do I have?

      If you are going to implement this platform then you must run a new installation rather than upgrade any other distro's. This is to avoid garbage in and garbage out.

      Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
      PeerSpot user
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Ubuntu Linux Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
      Updated: May 2025
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Ubuntu Linux Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.