Each personal computer 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, together with any apps that are installed on the 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 Operating System. On a server, each app runs within the parameters established by the OS as well - priority, physical memory, processing time, etcetera. This is valid for both standard Internet site scripts and server-side software such as a media server. In case a virtual server is set up on a physical one, there can be two different Operating Systems, called guest OS and host OS, so that you will be able to set up a different software environment on a single machine.
Multiple OS in Dedicated Servers
If you decide to obtain one of our dedicated servers, you will find three Operating Systems on the order page since we want to give you a broader choice regarding the system environment on the machine as different apps may have certain requirements. CentOS, Ubuntu and Debian feature different modules developed by their vast support communities, so you can select each of these OSs and take advantage of a reliable and risk-free hosting service. Depending on your selection, you'll also have different Control Panels to choose from. Needless to say, we can always replace the Operating System in case the one you have selected in the beginning doesn't meet the requirements of the software that you intend to run. We can also upgrade the OS routinely to keep it as risk-free as possible through our Managed Services upgrade package.