Every single PC or web server is run by an Operating System - the low-level program which interacts with the computer hardware, including peripheral devices such as a mouse and a printer, and any apps that are currently installed on your system. Any program input using a command line or a Graphical User Interface (GUI) is processed by sending an Application Program Interface (API) request to the OS. On a server, every single app runs within the parameters defined by the OS as well - priority, physical memory, processing time, and so on. This is valid for both standard Internet site scripts and server-side software like a media server. When a virtual server is generated on a physical one, there can be two separate Operating Systems, called guest OS and host OS, so you'll be able to set up a different software environment on the same machine.
Multiple OS in Dedicated Hosting
The dedicated servers we offer can be set up with as many as 3 different Operating Systems as we want to offer you more flexible plans that will let you install and run any web software irrespective of its system requirements. Your options are CentOS, Debian and Ubuntu and these three OSs are among the most stable and safe ones, not mentioning that they do not have any license costs. All three have thousands of developers who have created countless software packages that you may install and use on your web server. We also offer three web hosting Control Panels and which one you can use is determined by the Operating System that you choose when you register. In case you need a different OS subsequently, it won't be a problem since we can always reinstall your server. With our Managed Services package we could also keep your OS secure by updating it every week with all patches that are released for it.