Suggestions for Linux machine

I am going to install Ubuntu on an older desktop. When I originally had the idea, I was going to use it to host my start up sites. But I have bought hosting already so that isn't really needed. I was wondering what others have done with a unused desktop?
I have briefly researched how to use one to create a personal private proxy but my search was met short.

Suggestions anyone?

What is a Linux?

All depends on what your into.A common thing would be a media server.

if the desktop is in the same network as your other device ( laptop, desktop, etc ), turning it into a private proxy would be pointless. Unless you get another internet line or put it somewhere.

I used one as a torrent seed box, as a backup box, a file sharing device between my other computers, web development environment and plain old test box.

Just use it to learn some command line unix skills. A handy tool in any IMer's toolbox...

Learn to navigate the file system from the CLI and do basic bash stuff
Familiarize yourself with the *nix filesystem
How user and group accounts and permissions work
Learn to install and configure apache, mysql, possibly a mail server (qmail or postfix)
Learn iptables for security and how to lock a box down
Work out where all the main logs are, how to read them, how to rotate them and back them up
Learn how to convert videos using ffmpeg

Just work out useful stuff to know and then look it up on Google...

If it has space make a media server.


since it's still a linux u can use it as dev-server too.

Enjoy

1 unused laptop is our actual "modem" for wireless connection
1 unused PC became a htpc in the living room
1 unused PC in my brothers room became a media server
1 other became a security camera server
Yet another was storage backup.

Those were unused. There's also several 3u servers in the closet for data storage, backup, encoding etc.

First off save ram if it's an older machine and use lubuntu. I'm not suggesting you the other gazillion distros, or esoteric dialects of unix because as a beginner you'll probably want to find references fast on how to do things easily and lubuntu shares basically most of the same components with ubuntu with a super large community should you stumble across some issue (and you will.. ). Lubuntu has been recently adopted as an official member of the *buntu family so that's my recommendation for sure. About what you can do it's virtually endless: install nginx with php to test your sites as you were suggesting or go big and install apache so that you can learn to do shit properly, not the cpanel way Install a mail server, use it as a server to run your bots, learn how to code a "cheap man daemon" with a simple bash or less simple scripting language like python to basically take care of the chores that on most other systems will throw exceptions after a few weeks or months. File storage with ftp or samba to be easily accessible from a windows machine, use it as a private proxy with squid, filter with privoxy, make it a multi gateway router or a rDSL for your own use should that be the case.... or... install mame, buy an arcade chassis and have fun!

Awesome thanks for the suggestions!