How should I setup my Power Mac as a server?

[Shake 'n' Bake]

Hello,

As some of you may know, I've been interested in setting up a server for a few months. I finally got a Power Mac G4 "Digital Audio" with the following specs:

Processor: 733 MHz G4

RAM: 1 GB SDRAM, and if anybody cares, at least 256 MB of that is DDR2.

HDD: 1x 60 GB, 1x 40 GB, both on the stock ATA controller.

SuperDrive

SCSI card, USB 2.0 card.

OS: 10.4.11 (non-server)

So, it should work just fine. I've just got a few questions:

1. How can I setup an email server? I've looked at postfix, but the site seems amateurish.

2. How can I setup local network iChatting?

3. Where can I get a cheap, but good, SATA card? And how may drives can this take? I've heard both two and three.

4. How can I backup my computers to this? I've got two Vista Dells and the Power Mac, and a Mac mini running 10.5.7.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

 

[chrismacguy]

1. For E-Mail, I'd invest in a copy of Mac OS X Server (10.4), this would handle E-Mail serving.
2. Mac OS X Server would also allow you to iChat between different computers inside your house
4. Set up file sharing, and tell your backup software to use the servers drive. (Maybe partition it, 1 per machine for Time Machine, and 1 per machine for Windows Back-ups).

 

[Shake 'n' Bake]

1. For E-Mail, I'd invest in a copy of Mac OS X Server (10.4), this would handle E-Mail serving.
2. Mac OS X Server would also allow you to iChat between different computers inside your house
4. Set up file sharing, and tell your backup software to use the servers drive. (Maybe partition it, 1 per machine for Time Machine, and 1 per machine for Windows Back-ups).

Thanks for responding. I'd like to keep using the non-server version of Tiger for as long as possible though. I saw somewhere that there are a bunch of the server features in the non-server version. I just can't find it...

 

[chrismacguy]

Unfortunately, for seamless Mail and the only way AFAIK for local iChat is to upgrade to the Server version. 10.4 Server can be had relatively cheaply on ebay, especially as you only need a 10-user license. It is a shame that Apple doesn't bundle Mail and iChat into the client, but I guess they need some features to make you purchase the server version.