What are the differences, advantages, and disadvantages between linux and windows Gmod servers? - Developers

Obviously many servers Gmod servers run on linux, but probably more so run on windows. What are the notable differences between them? Performance? Network usage? price? Ease of use? I'm basically a linux virgin so any linux lingo is going to be out of my realm. However I would like to get a firmer grasp on the acute differences between the two.

Linux may be faster, but it's related directly to server's performance. Network usage will be the same. Usage will be harder, because GMod srcds has some problems like case sensitivity, where you must keep all your files lowercase, etc. I hear Linux servers are generally cheaper due to the os being free and more stable compared to Windows.

In the past there have been times where after an update the binaries would cause Linux server to crash under specific conditions, Would be a pain having to manual revert the binaries back an iteration. I Don't think that's too much of an issue now days though, in fact I can only remember having that issue once recently; which was fixed in a patch the next day.

Linux is less bloated than windows. Meaning that you won't have applications that you don't use running in the background using resources you need. Although windows does offer the 'hand holding' experience for new users. Most don't take to Linux as easily they do with windows.

I've seen a lot of Facepunch threads from people who complain gmod server-related stuff either doesn't work properly or breaks on Linux, is that a common thing?

[QUOTE=NiandraLades;42996857]I've seen a lot of Facepunch threads from people who complain gmod server-related stuff either doesn't work properly or breaks on Linux, is that a common thing?[/QUOTE] There are minor differences that you have to worry about, mostly file paths and names. You have to lowercase all resource file name for them to work properly, along with making sure paths in mods that save text files are lowercased. Other than that the only issue I've had is srcds freezing without an error, where the program just stopped. I had to develop a method of polling the server to detect cases where it is no longer responding so it could be rebooted.

[QUOTE=OzymandiasJ;42996901]There are minor differences that you have to worry about, mostly file paths and names. You have to lowercase all resource file name for them to work properly, along with making sure paths in mods that save text files are lowercased.[/QUOTE] Which really annoys me because it wasn't always like that. I can't remember if it was the steam pipe update or the native Linux client update, but it wasn't that long ago that the Linux server could handle uppercase file paths perfectly well. Took me hours to work out what the issue was as it wasn't clearly documented. Even now I still have issues when I'm using somebody else's code and I have to change all occurrences of VGUI to vgui. I just don't understand the reasoning. /rant Overall, I have both a Linux and a Windows gmod server and the Linux one just works much better. There's a reason that most servers use Linux. Not to mention how much easier development and administration are on Linux, which is something you might also value if you want a website as well as gmod servers. That being said, Windows is easier to learn. Significantly so. It all boils down to what your priorities are and how willing you are to experiment.

[QUOTE=YoshieMaster;42997395]Which really annoys me because it wasn't always like that. I can't remember if it was the steam pipe update or the native Linux client update, but it wasn't that long ago that the Linux server could handle uppercase file paths perfectly well. Took me hours to work out what the issue was as it wasn't clearly documented. Even now I still have issues when I'm using somebody else's code and I have to change all occurrences of VGUI to vgui. I just don't understand the reasoning. /rant Overall, I have both a Linux and a Windows gmod server and the Linux one just works much better. There's a reason that most servers use Linux. Not to mention how much easier development and administration are on Linux, which is something you might also value if you want a website as well as gmod servers. That being said, Windows is easier to learn. Significantly so. It all boils down to what your priorities are and how willing you are to experiment.[/QUOTE] [code] oldinclude = include; function include(path, ...) -- ... for compatibility return oldinclude(string.lower(path), ...); end [/code] Just do the same for all the other function you need

[QUOTE=MeepDarknessM;42997853][code] oldinclude = include; function include(path, ...) -- ... for compatibility return oldinclude(string.lower(path), ...); end [/code] Just do the same for all the other function you need[/QUOTE] That really doesn't solve the problem. Somewhere down along the line the linux bininaries became incapable of using uppercase anything. If you made a text file it would automatically be lowercased. If you resource.AddFile a file with uppercase letters it looks for one with lowercase letters. Windows is case insensitive, Linux is case racist.

I'm rather sure that if you use SrcDS on a filesystem that isn't case sensitive (FAT32 should work) then it would work perfectly fine. The performance overhead (if there is one at all) should be negligible as well.

I don't know why everyone is complaining about lowercase on linux. You can make a partion that works for all words. That is what I did for a sec.

[QUOTE=bran92don;43003523]I don't know why everyone is complaining about lowercase on linux. You can make a partion that works for all words. That is what I did for a sec.[/QUOTE] GSPs do not provide that functionality.

[QUOTE=MeepDarknessM;42997853][code] oldinclude = include; function include(path, ...) -- ... for compatibility return oldinclude(string.lower(path), ...); end [/code] Just do the same for all the other function you need[/QUOTE] Doesn't fix fastdl Doesn't fix files that are actually uppercase on the file system. Not really very useful but thanks anyway.

Speaking of which is game mounting also Linux-affected? I set my mount.cfg to reference a counter strike folder I had named in lower case, but no matter what I tried it refused to work so eventually I just dragged a content pack into my server's addon folder.