How to turn a spare Linux machine into a media server | News | TechRadar UK
http://www.techradar.com/news/digital-home/media-servers/how-to-turn-a-spare-linux-machine-into-a-media-server-640034

Linux is brilliant at serving files. It's this ability that keeps the enterprise world turning to Linux for its heavy lifting jobs and that keeps the world Googling 24/7. But it's just as good at serving files from a computer tucked away under the stairs or stuck in the loft, and a server in your house is now becoming an essential accessory.