ColdFusion and Linux: The Ultimate Remote Web Server Combination

by Michael Sheldon

By now, anyone in the CF community who's paying the least bit of attention knows that ColdFusion for Linux is just around the corner. In some ways, it's really nothing special; it's the same ColdFusion we have come to know and love, just on a different platform. In fact, there are a couple of features missing, like Verity and Advanced Security, due to lack of support for Linux in those components.

So, why should you care about CF for Linux?

Obviously, all of the penguin crowd will flock to the Linux version, with shouts of "stability!", "performance!", "it's not Microsoft!", etc.... Personally, I don't get too worked up over that. My NT boxes have all been very stable and reliable, real-life performance benchmarks have not yet been done to what I would call a reasonable standard, and while I don't always like what Microsoft does, I don't have any irrational phobias about using their products.

So why do I practically drool over the prospect of CF on Linux? Three words: Remotely Administered Servers. NT is fine, so long as you have direct keyboard access to it, but when you have to deal with an NT server located in another room, another city, or another country, things start to look a bit different. (Yes, I know about PC Anywhere, VNC, and other remote control software, but I've never been completely satisfied with them, since it is yet another piece of software to cause trouble.) Linux brings us to the point where I don't even need a keyboard, mouse or monitor attached to the computer, it will run just fine without them. And since Linux is a primarily command-line system, a telnet session (or SSH for the security-minded) is "just like being there." I can do anything I want to my Linux servers from any location, so long as it does not involve actual manipulation of hardware. This includes installing software, re-booting, and stopping and starting daemon processes (services). It's even possible to mount a CD remotely if you're willing to do a little work.

Another feature I feel is highly underrated by the Windows crowd is the ability to "strip the system down" to only the essential components. Windows NT by it's very nature has a lot of overhead before you even install ColdFusion. Linux, on the other hand can be run stripped down to the bone. For a good server install, I always do an absolute minimal install, then custom install only the components I need (Apache, ColdFusion, SSH, ...). This gives me a box that performs better, and has fewer security holes.

Lastly, because everything on Linux is based on the command-line, automating processes is very easy. Write the script, schedule it with cron, sit back and let it run. My box automatically emails my log files to me, deletes the old ones, scans the logs for problems, etc.... I can schedule processes to be stopped or started, content to be synchronized, configuration file modifications, or any other possible maintenance task.

Now, don't buy into all the fervor about how "easy" it is to use Linux. You're not going to learn it well enough in a day to install a production server. You didn't learn NT in a day, and this will certainly be no different. Find an old box, get a copy of RedHat 6.1, and start experimenting. Soon enough, you'll be confident enough to start using Linux as a development server, then for production. Also, chances are that you've got a Linux User Group in your area. Find out where they meet, and drop in. The User Groups are a fantastic means of getting non-urgent support.

Don't fear the penguin!

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