Hello, I hope you can help me. This is a lot of questions to answer- so thanks in advance. I am setting up a home server. I have a Dell Inspiron 4550, P4 w/ 512mb ram, with a clean install of XP Home on it. I want to turn this computer into my home server that will server multiple purposes. I will be upgrading the ram and the hard disk once I have developed and got everything setup. I want to be able to set this up using free/open source whenever possible. Currently, my network consists of cable modem into my Linksys WRT-54G wireless router with DD-WRT flashed onto it. I have two Vista machines (Laptop - Vista Enterprise; Desktop - Vista Premium). I also have a Playstation 3 connected wirelessly. Here I have broken down what I require for this server, and what I would also like if possible. Required: 1. Automated backup of two Vista machines. I would like to be able to do this automaticcaly on a schedule that I set. What software will I need for this? 2. Act as a Media Server for my PS3. 3. Act as a movie ripping and encoding computer. What software would be best for taking DVDs and turning them into formats compatible with PS3? 4. Will need to remote desktop in on this machine pver my network since I will not have monitor for this server. 5. Able to access files remotely, say from when I am in school or something. Will need Dynamic DNS. Which service (free) is best? 6. Act as fileserver. So with these following requirements- what would the best OS for this? Should I look at some Linux distribution? Which one? Does anybody have any experience with something similar? What about guides on the internet? Is P4 going to be decent enough to function as requested? Thanks again for all the help.

You have a few things confused. Vista Home can never be a true server since it's not running any server software. The most you can do with it is store files on it and share them in a workgroup. You can still create a remote connection and do backups but Linux really has no connection with that unless the files will be backed up on the Linux box itself.

Guapo- I do not want to use Vista as my server. I have a 3rd box with XP that I want to use as my server for my two Vista machines. I know XP does not have server capbilities, so I am trying to figure out what software package or OS I should install on the XP box so that I can use it as a server. I plan on getting rid of XP, but don't know what OS I should use for my server.

Examples of server OSes as far as MS goes, are Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003, Windows 2003 R2 or Windows 2008 Server and they don't come cheap. The only server software that can be installed on top of XP would be IIS or Apache to host web pages and they are free.