My provider supplies MYSQL (3.23.58) and PHP Version 4.3.11 and b2 has run fine regardless of versions and b2 version upgrades.

I'm just about to be bumped to MySQL 5 and PHP 5.1 which may help a few plugins work better as I have had some issues that could have been related to the old MySql and PHP

I only have 4.2.2.

I own the server and i can pay someone to fix it

but would like to do it on my own somehow