The main purpose for this move is very simple. I wanted a machine that could do all of the things that I was able to do in Windows XP with one very distinct difference. I wanted to be able to completely manage the machine remotely. This means that I want to be able to push the power button on the machine wait a minute and then have the ability to log into it remotely. Another reason was for the added stability. Though rebooting a machine every few weeks is no bid deal, the fact that a windows update requires a reboot is kind of a hassle and requires me to be at the machine to accomplish, with linux I am able to see that I have an update and remotely install it and I don’t usually have to reboot after doing so. Another minor reason was because I wanted to put my machine somewhere else than on my very small desk or at least be able to remove the keyboard and monitor taking up most of it off of the desk. So, before I begin any sort of instruction, I will cover the basic hardware and software that will not be covered in this tutorial explicitly.

So, to begin, the things that you will need are:

-A fully functional computer, preferably one that has a lot of onboard components because linux tends to play nicer with onboard components than with ones that are plugged in. But specifically, the minimum required for this project is; Motherboard (more onboard stuff the better), Processor (at least 1Ghz is preferable for good performance, but around 700mhz will work), RAM (512MB or more will work best but 256MB will suffice, if just barely), Graphics card (nothing special, anything that has 3d hardware acceleration and at least 64MB of video RAM will work fine), Hard Drives (Whatever you have, the more you have obviously the more space you will have, but its up to you), Power Supply (enough to run your system, probably around 300W) and Case is pretty much up to you, whatever you want as long as your parts fit.

-Network, preferably something that allows you to set static IP’s such as router or level 3 switch (also known as a manged switch). If you do not have a way to set a static IP address and are on a network that uses DHCP to assign IP addresses automatically, make sure you know the name of the computer you are trying to connect to because you will need it in the event that the machines IP changes and on a dynamic network it does so when the machine is rebooted.

-Another Computer Running Windows XP, yup, thats right you need another computer. The reason for this is to test your what you have done when you finish setting up something like SSH or Remote Desktop on the server. Some of the programs I will be using in windows to access the server include: RealVNC, PuTTY and FlashFXP, however you have to pay for that program so if you don’t want to just use the trial or buy it then you can also download FileZilla which is the same kind of program but it’s free for full use.

-Internet Connection, If you are looking at this tutorial I will assume that you have some sort of internet connection, but make sure that it is connected to the machine you will be setting this up on as a lot of the things that I will be showing you to do include download and install programs using a program called “Synaptic Package Manager” which is a way of getting programs for Ubuntu freely and easily.

So look for my next post “How to make a Ubuntu File server and more: Part 2” to appear soon. I will cover everything that I have done so far on the machine since I am writing this tutorial post starting it.

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