Networking :: making a server



i was wondering if DSL would be suitable for use as a file server with some sort of backup software to run every night.  all the computers that would be connecting to it would be windows xp machines.  im relitivly experianced in linux but not with networking it and i was wondering what i would need to add to DSL to make it possible, i would really like to run it off of the live CD so i could change machines if i had to withought much problem.  also i would like to have it run an email server in the future.  

thanks any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.
Quote (jherrico @ Jan. 07 2005,12:50)
i was wondering if DSL would be suitable for use as a file server with some sort of backup software to run every night.  all the computers that would be connecting to it would be windows xp machines.  im relitivly experianced in linux but not with networking it and i was wondering what i would need to add to DSL to make it possible, i would really like to run it off of the live CD so i could change machines if i had to withought much problem.  also i would like to have it run an email server in the future.  

thanks any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.

How would you be able to move your data, you would have to have a harddrive of some sort to back up data?

Can you explain further how you would like this to be or in what environment you are wanting to do this?

Brian
AwPhuch
there would be a hard drive available for backup or mabye a tape drive if i can find one that is compatible with linux.  the environment is such that i have several users that are sharing files and the files are at present on an xp machine that is only there to share theese files (not really an ideal way to do things in my opinion) so i was originaly planning on setting up a linux machine with samba that would be a file server for theese users and mabye in the future an email server as well (there are not that many files or users so it wouldent bog the system down to do both) but then i thought if i could use something like DSL  live cd then it wouldent be dependant on the hardware at all and i could put the disk in any machine on the network, boot to it and my server would be up, all i would have to do is transfer the hard drive to the new machine and we would be back in buisness (was thinking mabye an external HD)
i would also like to do this one day.
running DSL on an old P200 with 128mB ram.
chuck in a 40 gig HD. along with 3 -5 100mb Nics.
ill be able to have firewall/email/dialup server.

Just inthe process now of compiling modem drivers to get it to work!

original here.