what is the newest and best linux server software?

is it red hat?

If you ask a thousand people, you will get a thousand answers.

Try to be more specific as per your requirements, and don't let people spout their tired rhetoric; make them provide factual evidence to support their claims.

Nothing worse than these open-ended questions -- they lead to nothing but "My OS is better than yours" garbage.

yes because there a dozens of operating systems for linux like Gentoo, Knoppix,redhat,debian It just depends what you want to do with it.

But most people suggest knoppix.

lol - exactly right

I can say we started using linux cent os - and for no other reason then its pretty much identical to red hat enterprise, but, is still free

Im not certain there is a "best" flavour of linux, only the one you are most used to and most comfortable with...

can anyone tell me a website that has all the different linux software what what each does?

Hello Cheeseboy,

A good place to start would be here:

http://www.linux.org/dist/

how do i find it?

By "here", he meant the link... immediately following.

Cheeseboy,

You should little specific about what actually you need? Why you need a website that has all the different linux software?

From my point of view is Slackware 10.2 because it only needs 2 cd's.
Very stable and secure, freeware and free up-dates.
Does not put you to install packages that you dont really need (Super dependency base like in Red Hat).

Well...
Cant tell so much about it cause i havent tryed so many.
But my personal pick goes to gentoo. It has the advantage of being compiled in your computer, and that makes it damn fast... honestly... you wont belive your own computer... so... for a server... maybe its a good option, if we think of the demanded operation.
I think at the moment there is no distro like gentoo.

The bad thing: it takes an eternity to compile whatever u want to run on your computer.
KDE took me 22 hours compiling.
the kernel took like 2 hours or something.
etc etc etc

Its kind of a good topic imo.
Im using Windows Server 2003 Enterprise for our website hosting.

However ive been looking into researching linux / unix versions, there pros and cons to windows webservers. resources hogs, functions etc.

The Compiling sounds horrible however. Its kind of Interesting why a person cant make a simple ISO of the OS install boot and install and then distribute that ISO and save people hours of time.

Id like to install a version play with it, see how easy a Name server, pop 3 server and a webhost module runs of it and test its functions.

However like you say people will cant give a really good opinion on whats the best to use for what becuase there so many flavors.

The research into actually compiling it is unattractive as well.