Real beginner questions

[cokuspocus]

This may be a stupid question
I'm trying to set up ubuntu server and am having several issues.
1.) I don't really know what it can be used for/ how I'll know when its actually working/ how to use it
2.) Whenever i try to do much of anything it gives me errors
This is what happens when i do:

sudo apt-get update
Err:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
   Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu..com'
Err:2 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease
   Temporary failure resolving 'security.ubuntu.com'
Err:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease
   Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
Err:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease
   Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
Reading package lists... Done
W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...nial/InRelease  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...ates/InRelease  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.com/ubuntu/dists/x...orts/InRelease  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
W: Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/di...rity/InRelease  Temporary failure resolving 'security.ubuntu.com'
W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

I suspect i may not be connected to a network or something?
I honestly have no idea what im doing

[cruzer001]

Here's what it can be used for.

https://help.ubuntu.com/lts/serverguide/index.html

The rest of us run a desktop install.

https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/index.html

[mastablasta]

looks like the updates server is out of action (maybe under maintenance). you can switch it to another one near you.

read this and particularly see the second answer:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1046...google_rich_qa