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Server operating system

The server operating system is the basic software of the machine your site runs on. It manages the processors, memory and files, and the web server, PHP and the database run on top of it. Most WordPress sites run on Linux; a few run on Windows.

Why it matters

Section titled “Why it matters”

Visitors never see it, but it decides a few things that matter for a site. The operating system needs security updates like any other software, and an old version that no longer gets them puts everything on top at risk. It also decides which versions of PHP and the database the provider can offer.

Some differences show up in WordPress. On Linux, file names are case-sensitive: Photo.jpg and photo.jpg are two different files, which can break links after a move from a Windows server. Some server values, such as the load average, only exist on Linux and similar systems.

What influences it

Section titled “What influences it”

Server: The hosting provider chooses the operating system and its version, and keeps it updated, unless you run your own server. In containers and on some virtual servers, the system that PHP reports is the container’s view; the machine underneath can run a different version.

In Permo

Section titled “In Permo”

The operating system is in System info, tab Server & System, as a note on the web server card: its name and release as PHP reports them, such as Linux 5.15. On Linux, that’s the release of the kernel, the core of the system, not the version of a distribution such as Ubuntu or Debian. Permo doesn’t rate it.

Section titled “Related”

Sources