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What is "Ubuntu Server 12.04 LTS for Cloud"?

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/cloud

Is this the right server edition to download if I wish to configure a web-based file server? What is the difference between this and the classic Ubuntu Server?

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You basically only want to install these packages if you really want to start your own cloud-based service, i.e. a massively large service where lots of clients participate in a large infrastructure that is managed by your Ubuntu Server. The clients do some work for the infrastructure while they are embedded in a "cloud" that abstracts away their massive number.

A cloud basically then provides a service with all those clients being its back-end.

Ubuntu provides this server packages for either running guests or deploying and managing your own cloud infrastructure.

But: If that all didn't really make sense to you and you just have a server sitting at home which only serves a few files, websites, does basic routing and the usual, just download the normal Ubuntu Server edition. It will be enough for your purposes.

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  • +1, thank you for answerring this question. Could you, please, be little bit more specific, when would it be right moment to install the Ubunut Server for Cloud? What exactly is mean byt cloud-based service? Would it be, when my server would serve very large number of clients? What is the key differentiator, that suggest when is the right time to deploy Ubuntu Server for Cloud? May 27, 2012 at 22:18
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    No, a "cloud" is composed of clients (i.e. Ubuntu Cloud Server Guests) that do some kind of active work. They participate in the cloud (managed by the Ubuntu Infrastructure) in order to do some kind of job the cloud then offers as a service. Please read up on what "Cloud Computing" in general is — I can only briefly say that if you run a basic file server for a couple of clients, this is not cloud computing.
    – slhck
    May 27, 2012 at 22:22
  • thanks. I think, this question has been answered, and I am marking this answer as the accepted answer. May 27, 2012 at 22:31

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