Ubuntu Server or CentOS for Fileserver

Hi Everyone

I am looking to use Ubuntu server for a file server for home / office use at home on an esxi server.

A windows user/ technician for 20 odd years i have started this year to get in to linux after years and years of trying to and finally having the time. I have Linux Mint on my laptop and going to put it on my desktop soon once i can work out alternatives for the tools i currently use in my day to day use of windows.

I basically wanted to know is it worth be using Ubuntu Server as i have linux mint and am watching loads of you tube videos and getting used to apt-get or is CentOS a better option for a file server.

All i will be doing is setting up shares for a few computers in my home office at the moment.

Thanks
Mason64

Try them both? I would bet that if not during set up, then soon there after one will feel more comfortable and fit your work flow better.

I have a spare Dell T20 server I will have a play later on and let you know how I get on.

Thanks

Either will run Samba equally well. The decision comes down to which one you want to learn and/or support.

Running both distros personally at various times and using CentOS for work. I chose and stuck with Ubuntu for my home personal server. As others have said, you kind of get a feel for which one you prefer. Ubuntu being the driving force behind snap packages, support there is second to none. And in my experience, server snap packages are genuinely a joy to setup and run compared to other application installation methods.

I would just lean towards anything that helps with standardization for any given environment you are working in. Or, I would recommend the one you would like to learn more about.

I would test both.
I love the stability of CentOS but Ubuntu is also great and probably a bit easier if you are new to Linux or new to ‘server distros’.
If you want some newer stuff and the snap package integration maybe it is Ubuntu. If you want to to set it and forget about it with 10 years of support CentOS is nice.

You have to decide between apt and dnf. Both are great package managers even though I prefer apt and Debian personally for my server case.

Centos is not my cup of tea. I would vote for an apt-based distro on a server any day. I would prefer if there were fewer packaging systems out there, such as the .rpm-based ones.

There are way, way more .deb based deployments out there (than .rpm). I would like to see more consolidation around the most popular packaging systems like .deb (and I feel supplementary packaging formats like docker containers, snap and flatpak deserve a place at the table also).

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Understood, but I have worked in corporate America, mostly in telecomm and cable, for 25 years and have never seen a non-Redhat distro used in production.

This is, of course, just my experience.