Loosy goosy email.

Home server.

Once you have built your first home server, you will wonder how you ever did without it.

What kind of servers can you have?

$ tasksel --list-tasks |  grep server
i server    Basic Ubuntu server
i openssh-server    OpenSSH server
u dns-server    DNS server
i lamp-server    LAMP server
i mail-server    Mail server
i postgresql-server    PostgreSQL database
i print-server    Print server
u samba-server    Samba file server
u tomcat-server    Tomcat Java server

That is just the tip of the iceberg.

VM Box - You can test out software or a linux distro without worrying about damaging your computer or the rest of your network!
Web Server - Host your own website for free from your home
SQL Server - Run an SQL server with your web server to store all your web-related data and stuff...
DNS Server - Run a DNS Server because its required for Windows domains. ( Hopefully I reworded it correctly)
DHCP Server - Let your server assign IP addresses to your each computer on your network.
VPN Server - When you're on vacation, or even if you're just on your smart phone, VPN into your network to instantly access to all your files! If you have your network firewalled, you can also have safe internet access on your mobile device
File Server / NAS - Who wouldn't love a giant networked hard drive that everyone in the house can share?
Print Server - Share a printer with ever computer in your house.
Computer Backup - Automagically back up all the computers in your house! If you ever have a hardware failure, don't worry! Your data is backed up on your home server
Game Server - Host a private server for your favorite game! Weather it be Minecraft, Terraria, etc.
Seedbox - If you have the bandwidth to spare, go and seed your favorite linux distros! (Or "whatever else" you want to seed )
Home Automation - Order the right hardware, and you can use your home server to automate your house! You can simpily turn off and on your lights just by speaking! There are a ton of cool things you can do with home automation.
Render Box - If you use any Auto CAD or Blender, use your server to help with rendering
Web Cache - You can install squid, and set it up as a web cache. By saving the most used resources locally, web caching can speed up web browsing.
FTP Server - Run a FTP server, and access your files from anywhere in the world! use FTPS to encrypt your FTP traffic protect your data.
Teamspeak/Mumble/Vent Server - Tired of spending money to rent a VOIP server? Just install the server for your favorite VOIP client, and you'll no longer have to pay!
Email Server - Want to get a custom domain name for your email address? Just run an email server on your home server!
Gateway - Replace your router with an IPFire server to gain access to tons of settings and features that your normal router doesn't provide.
Firewall - Protect your home network from threats by using a firewall on your gateway!
Media Server - Stream music and movies from your home server to your TV/Xbox/PS3/Computers/Other by using your home server as a media server.
Active Directory - Login to your computers, just like in a corporate network. An AD lets you manage user accounts and permissions across your whole network.
Snort Server - Run a snort server on your gateway to protect your network from malicious attacks that a normal firewall wouldn't block.
DVR (PVR) - Record Your favorite TV shows to watch later
Home Security - Record Surveillance cameras footage for home security.

FOLDING!!! - If you can't find anything better to do with your server's left over performance, Fold! It only uses the idle clocks, so it won't slow down your server!

Simple web based office apps.

These are just for starters.  Web applications for your intranet. No need to use the cloud unless you want to

Spreadsheet
Gui editor
Database
Flowchart
Critical path method.

Venturing into web pages.

If you have ever set a web server, you are probably familiar with the Apache start up web page.  You got goose bumps to know that you have a server to play/work with.

The you decide you want to do your own web page and it might look something like this.

You want some a little more splashy so tyou go to www.w3schools.com.com for some hints and then your web page becomes a bit more interesting.

You keep adding content and before long your start page may look something like this:

Quite a change! http://www.instructables.com/id/Introduction-to-installing-web-apps/

Will the real web server please stand up?

The duck test – "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck"

Several years back I did an article about setting up a web server. One person commented to the affect that it was not a real web server (paraphrasing) since it was not part of some big server entity like Amazon. Which i responded the user not are how it was done. Then there were retorts about how you had to have this and that. Finally another reader suggested he used an old 486 computer and how he ran a web server and it it handled quite a bit of traffic similar to a commercial web server. Did not hear anymore from the dissenter.

So if you see a web page in your browser, does it matter where or how it comes from. If I told you that the picture above was generated from a web server that was using a legacy Pentium one computer would it really matter? 

Simple server mass possibilities,

 

Old P3 server doles out web based applications, but does not use a gui. Great for hosting applications so you do not have to load them on the tablet thereby saving storage on tablets.

Server Selfie.

HP missteps?

The church lady roars.

Hillaries email server in custody.

Just a minimal list of what could be done.

Update: it was alleged to me the system given to the government was not Hillaries actual email server. At one time, the system was taken to an isp for hosting. The original hard drive was wiped. Forensics are almost worthless now. As the church lady might say "How convenient!"

Server down.

What's different?

New conduit, but same old time share.

Just a new package.

Mrs C's server

Model trains to....

Home computer networks are the new model trains. Here we are using a web application from the home web server in the kitchen.

User end device:

The server:

At your service.

Owncloud not allowed

Texas computer room.

Cows is a Cluster of workstations
Several servers working together is sometimes know as a server farm.

LTSP

Linux terminal server project lets you connect to multiple systems via rdp, vnc and etc.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Another-almost-free-computers-thin-client-set-up/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Another-almost-free-computers-thin-client-set-up-P/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Part-III-LTSP-Maintenance/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Ltsp-clustering/

Proprietary cloud offerings.

Caveat emptor, Temporarily available at no charge.Not for production usage.  Source code not included. Available at: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/try/default.aspx