Why We Chose Ubuntu for Our Servers
Choosing a server operating system might not sound like the most exciting decision, but it is one of the most consequential. The OS underpins everything we build - from our Laravel APIs to the deployment pipelines that keep them running. With so many solid options available - Debian, Ubuntu, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Fedora Server, openSUSE - it is worth explaining why we landed on Ubuntu LTS as our standard.
The Linux Server Landscape
The Linux server world broadly splits into two families: Debian-based distributions (Debian, Ubuntu) and RHEL-based distributions (AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Fedora). There are others, of course - Arch, openSUSE, Gentoo - but in production server environments, most teams are choosing between these two camps.
Each family has its strengths. RHEL-based distributions are deeply entrenched in enterprise environments, with long support cycles and a reputation for stability. Debian is renowned for its rock-solid reliability and conservative approach to packaging. Ubuntu sits in an interesting position - built on Debian's foundations but with a more aggressive release cadence and a strong focus on cloud and developer experience.
We have run servers on several of these distributions over the years. Here is why Ubuntu consistently wins out for our use cases.
APT and the Package Ecosystem
Ubuntu inherits Debian's APT (Advanced Package Tool) and .deb package format. On its own, that is solid. What makes Ubuntu stand out is the PPA (Personal Package Archive) ecosystem that sits on top of it.
For a Laravel agency, this matters enormously. We need current versions of PHP, Node.js, Composer, and various extensions. Ondrej Sury's well-known PHP PPA for Ubuntu makes it trivial to install and manage multiple PHP versions side by side. Need PHP 8.1 for a legacy project and PHP 8.3 for a new build? A couple of commands and you are done.
On RHEL-based distributions, you often end up relying on Remi's repository or Software Collections, which can feel more cumbersome. Debian itself tends to lag behind on package versions due to its conservative release philosophy - perfectly valid for many use cases, but not ideal when you want to stay current with the latest PHP and Laravel releases.
The breadth of packages available through Ubuntu's repositories and PPAs means we spend less time compiling from source or hunting down compatible packages. That is time we would rather spend building APIs.
Cloud Readiness and First-Class Support
Ubuntu dominates the cloud. Whether you are spinning up instances on AWS, DigitalOcean, Linode, Hetzner, or any other major provider, Ubuntu is almost always available as a first-class image - often as the default. Canonical invests heavily in ensuring Ubuntu works seamlessly across cloud platforms, and it shows.
Most other distributions are available on major cloud providers too, but Ubuntu's deeper integration means better-optimised images, faster boot times, and more thorough testing on each platform. When you are managing dozens of servers for client projects, these small advantages compound.
We also use Laravel Forge extensively for server provisioning and management. Forge has excellent Ubuntu support, and its default setup scripts are built around Ubuntu. While Forge does support other distributions, Ubuntu is clearly the path of least resistance - and in infrastructure, the path of least resistance is usually the right one.
LTS Support Cycles That Encourage Good Habits
Ubuntu LTS releases come every two years and receive five years of standard support, with an additional five years of Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) through Ubuntu Pro - which is free for up to five machines. RHEL-based distributions typically offer around ten years of support per major release. Debian supports each release for roughly five years, with an additional two years of LTS from the community.
On paper, longer support cycles look attractive. In practice, we find Ubuntu's two-year LTS cadence better suited to our workflow. It encourages us to stay current without being reckless. We plan upgrades as part of our regular maintenance cycles, and the well-documented upgrade path between Ubuntu LTS versions makes this straightforward.
Staying on an OS for a decade might sound appealing, but it often means running increasingly outdated software and accumulating technical debt. The sweet spot is an OS that gives you enough stability to be confident in production whilst nudging you to keep things current. Ubuntu LTS hits that balance well.
Laravel and the PHP Ecosystem Alignment
Laravel has always felt most at home on Ubuntu. Taylor Otwell and the broader Laravel community predominantly develop and test on Ubuntu-based environments. Laravel Homestead, the official Vagrant box, runs Ubuntu. Laravel Forge defaults to Ubuntu. Laravel Vapor provisions Ubuntu-based Lambda functions.
This is not to say Laravel cannot run brilliantly on Debian, AlmaLinux, or Rocky Linux - it absolutely can. But when the entire ecosystem is optimised for Ubuntu, choosing anything else means swimming against the current. We would rather focus our energy on building great software for our clients than troubleshooting obscure compatibility issues.
The same applies to the broader PHP ecosystem. Most CI/CD pipelines, Docker images, and deployment guides in the Laravel world assume Ubuntu. Aligning our servers with those assumptions removes an entire class of potential issues.
Community, Documentation, and Hiring
Ubuntu has one of the largest communities of any Linux distribution. When something goes wrong at 2am and you are searching for answers, the sheer volume of Ubuntu-specific documentation, forum posts, and Stack Overflow answers is reassuring. You are rarely the first person to encounter a given problem.
From a hiring perspective, most developers we work with are more familiar with Ubuntu and Debian-based systems than RHEL-based alternatives. Reducing the cognitive overhead for new team members means they can be productive faster. It is a small consideration individually, but it adds up across a team.
Security and Updates
Ubuntu's security team is responsive, and Canonical's commitment to timely patches is well established. The unattended-upgrades package makes it easy to automatically apply security patches, which is essential when managing multiple client servers. We configure this on every server we provision - there is no excuse for missing critical security updates.
Ubuntu uses AppArmor by default for mandatory access control. RHEL-based distributions use SELinux, and Debian also supports AppArmor. We find AppArmor simpler to configure and manage for our use cases. Neither approach is objectively better - they are different tools with different trade-offs - but AppArmor's lower barrier to entry means our team spends less time wrestling with security policies and more time ensuring they are correctly applied.
Containers and Modern Tooling
We use Docker extensively for local development and increasingly in production. The majority of Docker images in the ecosystem are built on Debian or Ubuntu bases. This means smaller image sizes, faster pulls, and fewer surprises when something works locally but behaves differently in production.
Tools like Ansible, Terraform, and GitHub Actions also tend to have Ubuntu as their default or most-tested target. When your entire CI/CD pipeline assumes Ubuntu, aligning your servers with that assumption removes friction at every stage of the deployment process.
Why Not Debian?
Given that Ubuntu is built on Debian, it is a fair question. Debian is excellent - arguably more stable and certainly more minimal out of the box. For some teams, that conservatism is exactly what they want.
For us, Ubuntu's advantages come down to the extras: Canonical's cloud optimisations, the PPA ecosystem for bleeding-edge PHP versions, the tighter integration with Laravel tooling, and the Ubuntu Pro ESM programme. Debian would be our second choice without hesitation, but those extras make a tangible difference in our day-to-day work.
The Foundation Matters
We want to be clear: there is no single "best" Linux distribution for servers. AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Debian, and others are all excellent choices depending on your requirements, expertise, and existing infrastructure. The best distribution is the one your team knows well and maintains diligently.
For us - a Laravel-focused agency that values rapid deployment, ecosystem alignment, and cloud-native workflows - Ubuntu LTS is simply the best fit. Every tool in our stack, from Forge to Docker to our CI pipelines, works most smoothly with Ubuntu underneath.
Whatever you choose, the most important thing is to keep it updated, patched, and well-maintained. A perfectly chosen OS that is left unpatched is far more dangerous than an imperfect choice that is diligently maintained. Security updates matter. Staying current matters. Your server OS is the foundation everything else rests on - treat it accordingly.