If you get a server 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 apps directly or script-driven internet sites through a hosting Cp. While keeping the Os updated isn't always considered fundamental, it can be a quite important task for a number of reasons. A newer Operating system version may have better support for certain hardware, so you could get better performance for the sites and web apps that you install. Your server will also be more secure because updates typically include security patches that deal with small problems that may allow unauthorized individuals to access your content. Last, but not least, more recent script versions, which are also released for both improved security and for additional features, may need a later version of the Os in order to work effectively and with their full capabilities.