This refers to the role of content management systems (CMS) in regard to operating systems such as Windows or Linux. In particular the issue of what operating systems a CMS can run on and why.
Many CMSs are cross-platform and are able to transfer easily between these platforms. They enable the site owner/s to mix servers or move a CMS which is running on a particular operating system to a different system.
Many of these content management systems are unaffected by what operating system they run on, but, not every CMS works with every operating system.
CMS and cross platform issues
Many businesses and organisations use more than one operating system such as Windows, Linux or UNIX for several reasons; for example, using Linux means fewer yearly licence renewal costs.
Even though Windows is the most popular operating system it is good business practice to choose a CMS which can run across different operating systems. For example, selecting a CMS which will work in both Linux and Windows environments.
The main reason for doing this is to safeguard the investment made in a CMS if there is a change in technology in the future. So, for example, if there is a change which means that the CMS only runs in Windows then at least some of the investment in the system is maintained.
CMS and Mac OS
Most of the market share in operating systems in dominated by Windows. But there are a substantial number of Mac users who want to use a CMS for web development but may be unsure as to which system will work with Mac OS.
A Mac user may want a CMS which enables them to build a website on their machine but can be accessed by someone running Windows. They carry out the initial development via Mac OS but the site can be modified by another person using a Windows based system.
However, a web browser is indifferent to what operating system it works with and operates independently of any CMS.
Plus web standards dictate that the user experience of a CMS must not be determined by the web browser or operating system. In other words, a good CMS will work with any browser or operating system –which equally applies to Mac users as well as PC users.
Web hosting CMS
An important issue with this is web hosting: it is important to check what type of web hosting package you will use with a CMS as this varies between systems. Some CMSs will work with any web hosting package but others will only function on certain packages only.
Some CMSs will run on either a Windows or Linux server due to the fact that they often require components which only work on certain operating systems.