Thread: Need some advice on setting up my home\game server.

i'm kind of hoping i'm in right spot, considering leisurely purposes.

work pc tech small shop, linux foreign me. have ubuntu 11.04 running in vm, toy around with, i'm still learning ropes.

1 of clients dropped off small-form pc dead mobo. more interested in upgrading newer pc, helped him with, curious sff pc left. turned out dead mobo, ended ordering new one, , want re-purpose own home server. figured, security's sake, run linux distro instead of trying lockdown windows server. have access windows server 2008 through student licensing program, figured ubuntu be, @ least, fun learn on server level.

board on way here. have questions getting running , doing want do. wanted thing can (finally) run minecraft server 24\7. friends , play on server host off primary workstation, it's when i'm home, not @ work. having home server means don't need wait me.

however, because going home server, want handle tasks around house. notably, following:

• media server. streaming music (mp3, wma), , streaming dvds (isos, avi (xvid)).
• minecraft server (all need java).
• automated backups (local only)
• ftp remote file access.

have couple of problems though.

1. my blu-ray player doing bulk of watching, sony bdp-s570. can't, life of me, find windows-based media server transcode avi or iso files , let me watch them on blu-ray. once got working mkvs, spent months ripping dvd collection onto computer, stripping out junk don't need can fit them on drive. don't want go through , convert isos , avis mkvs. know of dlna media-server transcode avi , isos sony blu-ray rendered?
2. both minecraft server , ftp server going available online, obviously. kind of security concerns should have? ftp rather foreign me well. can figure out ftp part on own, (i once had running on xp machine years ago), i'm more worried security.
3. i'd automate backups few computers on home network. recommendations on software one? sweet-and-simple preferred. have 500gb 7200 wd ready rock handle 6 people. i'd rather not sit around 6 days trying figure out perfect solution if else invented wheel, know?
4. what other tricks can make dog do?

oh, , if specs important, let me know. it's core 2 duo 3.0ghz, w/ 4gb , gigabit ethernet. drives both 7200rpm. once ubuntu on there, i'll throw on kind of vnc software can access desktop real pro

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