I’ve configured and maintained over 100 UNIX-based servers over the years starting with Slackware Linux 2.0 back in 1995. Over all course of all the deployments I’ve become very biased about my operating systems. Linux clearly has a solid lead with desktop applications,
but for server deployments and maintainability, I believe firmly in FreeBSD. ^
Over the years, I’ve had similar experiences. Linux is UNIX-like, but BSD is UNIX. Linux comes from the age of small iron, but BSD was geared toward Big Iron: take every byte and place it exactly, then verify it, and make every as orthogonal as you can. I even install it for the desktop, since most of the same GUIs that Linux will run can run on BSD, but of late I’ve been installing Ubuntu Linux for its ease of use and beauty as an interface. Yet when it comes time to run some hopefully bulletproof enterprise app, or even its support scripts, I pick BSD. You can get your copy for the server here and for the desktop here.