If you get a hosting machine of your own, it will run independently, so it'll have its own Operating System and you'll be able to later install server side programs directly or script-driven websites through a hosting Cp. Although keeping the Operating System updated is not always considered an absolute necessity, it can be a very important task for several reasons. A more modern Operating system version might have better support for specific hardware, so you may get better performance for the internet sites and web apps which you install. Your server shall also be more secure as updates usually include security patches which take care of small problems which may allow unauthorized people to access your content. Last, but not least, current script versions, which are also released for both improved security and for additional features, may require a later version of the Operating System in order to work correctly and with their 100 % capabilities.