Ubuntu Home Server (UHS) will be an edition of the Ubuntu operating system that permits users to administer their home network. Tasks like backing up all the computers in your house, storing music, videos, pictures and more in one central location, accessing your files over the Internet and many other things will be done easily, with the help of UHS. The project was launched very recently, and the specifications are under development, while the work on some components has started.

The UHS edition is still in project drafting stage, until the idea is developed to an adequate point, when a detailed specification will be created and submitted.

Here are some of the specifications, as they look for the moment (remember, these specifications could change in the future!) :

Low Minimum System Requirements

The Ubuntu Home Server edition should be installable on Mini-ITX based devices, to ultra-efficient computers. It should scale to the available hardware.

Simple Storage Space Management

The space management on a machine which uses UHS will be easy, but complex.

Scalable Architecture

The development of modules which can be easily added and removed from the home server, when the user needs change, will be enabled in Ubuntu Home Server.

Cross-Platform Client Support

The client computers that use Windows, OSX or any Linux distribution, will have native support included in UHS.

The key features of Ubuntu Home Server will be the following:

File/Data Server

A machine running UHS will act as giant store for the home network, where every user can easily browse through the files on the server and transfer anything they want to their client computer.

Backup

The client users can set up their operating system to backup to the UHS machine, letting them to browse their backed up files and restore them to each machine, selectively.

Printer Server

Sharing printers on the network will be an easy task, with the help of UHS. It will also be configured to store printer drivers.

Network Functions

The server might include a firewall to increase the security of the network, and also a NAT.

Here are some more extra features that could be included on UHS:

Remote Access from the Internet

Users could be able to access their stored files and media through a web-based client.

Parental Control

The users could set the UHS machine as a parental control device, to control access to the Internet or the data stored on the Ubuntu Home Server.

Many other features could get on the first release of UHS, so get ready for some network administering!