sorry, did not read the whole thread (don't have time right now) and i do not know whats answared/asked or not but i'll give you some easy linux server solutions.
File server: use a ftp server of your choice, you can access it from ftp clients, webbrowers and from computers trough the standard filebrowser window if you type
ftp://your servers domain name or ip. i recomend ftp clients because they are made to access ftpservers.
Web server: use LAMPP it's an easy webserver all in one package. (following is from wikipedia
"LAMP is an acronym for a solution stack of free, open source software, originally coined from the first letters of Linux (operating system), Apache HTTP Server, MySQL (database software) and Perl/PHP/Python, principal components to build a viable general purpose web server."
connect to your server:
connect to the terminal: from linux or mac, use an ssh client via terminal, from windows use putty. use openssh as a ssh server.
remote desktop. use any vnc server and a vnc client. an easy way of doing it, use teamviewer. i like tight vnc too.
IRC server: use unrealircd, it's not plug and play, you have to configure it yourself, but it works!^^
READ ABOUT myihome! think it's what you are searching for.
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/download/myihome.html
more to come, maybe
