Ubuntu is a widespread desktop OS, which uses the Linux kernel, and its server version is getting pretty popular as well. The reason is that the OS is extremely light and it will run on almost any hardware with no issues, utilizing its resources to the max. Ubuntu is also really reliable and secure and all Long-Term Support (LTS) versions are supported for a minimum of five years, which warrants that you should have a safe and stable software environment on your server all the time. Also, Ubuntu has one of the biggest user communities in the world, which means that if you experience any issue or have any kind of question, you'll find numerous resources online. One of the basic benefits of this OS is that it contains a large number of software packages that can be easily adjusted according to your needs as well as the requirements of the applications which you'd like to run, not to mention that you will not have to pay any kind of license fees at any time. In contrast, other Operating Systems are paid and their code is not accessible, thus it cannot be changed.