Starting a Home Server

#3 - Get the Mac OS X Server software (it is not very expensive). That will make setting a mail server easier.

#2 - Itunes sharing can be used for media sharing throughout the house.

#1, #6, #7 - CrashPlan (the free option) will allow you to backup Macs to your own storage. It works across the LAN or securely across the Internet. I use this to backup the Macs in my home, my Mom's iMac 300 miles away, and our Macs when on the road (vacation or business travel).

#5 - Back-to-My-Mac via iCloud will allow you to remotely mount your server's file system across the network, including across the internet.

#4 - video surveillance - you are on your own. Sorry.

Play with OS X server on your laptop but don't plan on migrating the settings is my advice. (There are tools, but you may be better off learning how it works). Ideally servers have static IP's, unique names & it makes more sense to me to start fresh when the server arrives.

I'd test on a secondary installation of OSX so that the laptop can still be used after you stop testing OS X server.

As for offsite backup. I'd also suggest you look at Arq - it backs up to Amazon S3 or Glacier. Chronosync may be another option - it could sync between you and your dad once you have setup a secure way to access his server.

Personally I would ignore Back To My Mac - you need a recent Mac to use it & you end up leaving your Apple ID scattered all over the place if you use it in public (ever noticed how the Apple ID gets into the iCloud settings after you login to one service). Other services like GoToMyPC, LogMeIn can allow remote access via a browser on many OS's.

However since you are also wanting full access to the file shares you may be better suited with a VPN into the network. A VPN joins your device from the internet into the local network, so you can use whatever app or services that work on the local network. So you can use VNC/ARD iOS apps like 'Screens' to control Macs. You can also use the Screen sharing application on OS X to connect once the VPN connection is running into your network. Or VNC on Linux/ Windows machines.

I don't think it is a good idea to setup the VPN for access from the Apple store or Library - you should really think about what level of access you want from these places - it's far safer to restrict to a few devices.

The VPN is probably best run from your router - if you have one that is capable. The server can run it too as a service, however it's better if you are not 100% reliant on the server for the outside access - when it goes off the remote access would go down too.

Seek out posts by MrHoffman in the server forums and there is some good advice concerning DNS on his site… you will want that working correctly if you plan to have outside access.

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com

P.S. You seem to want to run Mail.app for your email rule processing - is that correct?

That is a poor idea because the app needs to be running so that means the server must boot, auto login & launch Mail - that is a gaping hole for any server, it does require physical access, but it's not great for security should the server be stolen.

"How did you hack it?" — "I just turned it on"

With back to my mac how do I use a random computer (Say at the apple store or the library) to access my servers files.

I would NOT attempt to mount/access my entire home file system from a random computer, as you never know what kinds of credentials you will leave behind by mistake.

At best I might have a web server running that makes available files I do not mind if they accidentally were discovered again by some random computer I used in an Apple Store.

Or a Public folders under Dropbox.com (NOT the primary Dropbox folder, just the ~/Dropbox/Public where I would ONLY put stuff that if it was found I would not worry about. The ~/Dropbox/Public folder can be accessed via a web browser.

I would use Back-to-My-Mac from my own computer on the road, or other services, such as TeamViewer, GoToMyPC, LogMeIn, etc... But not something I do not own.