Linux powers most of the internet’s servers. Hosting VPSes typically run a server distribution — AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Ubuntu Server, Debian — administered over SSH without a graphical interface.
For a hosting server, Linux is the foundation everything else stands on: the web server (Apache/Nginx), the database (MySQL/MariaDB), mail (Exim/Postfix) and the control panel are all Linux services, each of which needs watching.
Frequently asked questions
Which Linux distribution do hosting panels use?
Panels like SPanel and cPanel target the Red Hat family — CentOS successors such as AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux are the common choice.
Do I need to know Linux commands to run a VPS?
Basics help a lot, but good tooling covers the routine: monitoring apps run the diagnostic commands for you and present results graded and explained.