I have a dual pentium 3 1GHz on an ABIT VP6 motherboard with 2GB (4x512) and 5-6 internal harddrives + 2 external (I'll post back when I'm sure). It had WHS 2003 and the main 160gb harddisk failed.
I could recover all the (ghost) files as they were if I reinstall the system on a new drive and install the drives one by one. I would rather install a linux distro on it, as it is more appropriate (whs 2008 won't run well).
All you linux aficionados would you please suggest some good beginner friendly WHS-like free linux home server OSes?
Bump since this already drowned in 2 pages of build posts
Almost every linux can be a server. The configuring is always necessary, but fun to learn!
Go with arch linux if you have much time for the freshest linux update in the rolling releases.
Go for ubuntu server (LTS preferably, you never know.) or a debian one, if you just want to configure once, and just want it to keep doing its job.
I want the most brain dead simple and least time consuming and stable distro there is, with server-network managing programs like the whs console (for hard disk health and usage, wake up/shutdown on lan, remote access through windows, and some sort of automated back up for the pcs in network program). In the end i'll probably reinstall whs but linux would be a much better option if it wouldn't be so damn time consuming.