Building C# Corner on Linux

Mahesh Chand

Linux server sales are still soaring and it seems like more and more enterprises are selecting Linux server.

What in your take on this? We are a C# language website and current and new website we are building are in ASP.NET 4.5 but do you think we should build C# Corner on LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP)? What do you think?

13 Replies

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Mahesh Chand14y ago
Yes agreed Sam. Thank you for bringing this to attention.

Windows 8 and Metro style apps will be two different categories. Once we have enough articles on these two categories, we will separate them.
Sam Hobbs14y ago
This is off-topic for the thread, but it is also a continuation of what "Admin" said.

In response to Vulpes's suggestion to have a separate category for Metro Style Applications, I assume it would not be a subcategory of C++/CLI. So having a category for C++/CLI does not imply we need one for Metro Style Applications too. C++/CLI is so much different from C++ that it is reasonable for them to be separate and due to the subject of this web site, I think a C++/CLI category is more important than C/C++. Certainly we can put C, C++ and C++/CLI into one forum but I hope that the suggestion to create a Metro Style applications forum did not influence the decision to not create separate forums for C/C++ and C++/CLI.
Mahesh Chand14y ago
I have just created a new category C/C++. Once we have enough articles on CLI etc, we can create separate categories for that. We don't want to have too many empty categories.
Mahesh Chand14y ago
FYI: I always writing my own software using our own team. I don't use any existing CMS or third party tool to build the site. Since day 1, we have written and used our own code :).
Mahesh Chand14y ago
Good discussions guys!

So we are always building C# Corner using the next best thing. For example, next version of C# Corner will be build in ASP.NET 4.5 and MVC 4. Before that, we are launching an ASP.NET 4.0 (no MVC) version of the site. Next version 4.0 we plan to launch at the summit. While version 4.5 may be launched sometime in Oct. We are staying with .NET versions :).

But before we spend too much time and resources in ASP.NET, why not think about it. ASP.NET has some major issues while dealing with high-traffic. It's not ASP.NET in general, it's actually Windows+IIS environment in general. IIS is a good web server but unfortunately as good/stable as Apache :). At least what I have been reading. Now this site is growing like crazy and the next few years plans we are putting together, we are expecting 5.0 million monthly users by year 2013. To support that, we have to have a good infrastructure in place.

Unfortunately, we do not have LAMP expertise and myself being a Microsoft guy, it gives us upper hand in MS technologies. Also, the site itself deals with mostly MS technologies but we plan to grow out of it. We plan to support all programming technologies if possible :).

This is why I opened this argument.

Still long way to go but I am doing my research on LAMP vs WISA and will publish it soon.

Cheers!
Vulpes14y ago
I wasn't intending to scorn your argument, Abhi, which I'd have actually agreed with if this site were still confined to Microsoft technologies and some support were forthcoming from the latter.

However, as it isn't and they're not, I don't see why Mahesh should be confined to ASP.NET when considering the best platform for future sites.
Abhimanyu K Vatsa14y ago
@Vulpes: "Abhi's 'dog-fooding' argument" ha ha, scorning my suggestion. Well, Vulpes that was my take. I'm a ASP.NET guy, I can't suppose any LAMP, wake up Microsoft. I think www.asp.net is working well by using ASP.NET, then why don't we? Please explain why Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP may be better for this site? Let's begin the debate.
Vulpes14y ago
If you're posting more than a couple of sentences, then notepad is your friend :)

BTW, is anybody else having problems with e-mail notifications for threads they've subscribed to?

I'm only getting them intermittently though the problem could be at my end.
Suthish Nair14y ago
Same for me... "reply can't be blank!"

After a long time, i posting a reply on forum... what am getting is "reply can't be blank!".. Bad, very Bad...

Need to wait 15+ more days for new launch... Its seems too long... hmmm...
Vulpes14y ago
If the new site is nearly finished, then I assume you'll be finishing that using ASP.NET and that any question of moving to LAMP would only be relevant to versions of the site after that.

As the site is clearly expanding its reach beyond Microsoft to encompass other programming technologies, I don't necessarily accept Abhi's 'dog-fooding' argument and I think you should choose the platform for future versions of the site based on the merits of the competing technologies at the time.

As far as C++ is concerned, I agree with Sam that there should be separate categories for C++/CLI and (unmanaged) C/C++.

In fact, if C++/CX proves a popular choice for developing Metro apps, then you might need a separate category for that as well.
Abhimanyu K Vatsa14y ago
From my point of view, building our website on LAMP will not be a good idea. On this website we always talk on Microsoft platforms mostly and if we develop this in LAMP, what motivation other will get...ridiculous. Facebook is social networking website and that's why they are using LAMP based services. Agree with Mahesh Sir here "Microsoft would come forward and help us provide software licenses and hosting servers etc."
Mahesh Chand14y ago
First of all, I agree Sam. We should have a C/C++ category. Initially, we had it on Mindcracker (we still have it) but C# Corner has grown out of just C# and become a all-programming website. I will do that soon.

I didn't say that we are going to build on LAMP but I am curious. What people here think about the idea. Also, we have so much traffic and it would be cheaper to run a LAMP based platform than running a Microsoft based. You would think Microsoft would come forward and help us provide software licenses and hosting servers etc.
Sam Hobbs14y ago
This web site did it to me again. I typed a reply and when I pressed "Post" I get a message saying "reply can't be blank!" and what I typed is gone.

It would help if you explain why Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP might be better for this site. There are many good reasons for using them but you seem to be saying the reason to switch is because Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP are the current trend. If there is another reason then it will help if you can clarify what the advantages are of switching to them for this site specifically.

I have noticed that there is a category in the home page for COBOL but not C++. If you have a site for Linux then it is more inmportant that there be a category for C/C++. Perhaps it would be better to have two categories; one for C/C++ and another for C++/CLI.