If you get a hosting machine of your own, it will work independently, so it'll have its own Os and you could later install server side programs directly or script-driven internet sites via a hosting Cp. While keeping the Os updated is not always considered an absolute necessity, it can be a really important task for a variety of reasons. A newer OS version might have better support for certain hardware, so you could get better performance for the sites and web apps which you install. Your server will also be more protected since updates normally include security patches which deal with small issues which may allow unauthorized people to access your content. Last, but not least, newer script versions, which are also released for both enhanced security and for additional features, may need a later version of the Os in order to work correctly and with their full capabilities.