Well, AFAIK people are running web-sites using apache, php and mysql on it and with ok performance. I'm not saying this would replace a real server, but for normal home-use with not too much traffic it seems to do the job.
It's a fact that Linksys uses a somewhat modified version of linux on the NSLU2, maybe they don't advertise it on their web-page, but who cares? They got similar products based on or running linux which also have replacement-firmware. The point is that alot of people have modified their NSLU2, which by the way don't remove any of the functionality of the original product as I understand it, and made it possible to do cool things with it; run a subversion server for their projects etc. and by adding up to two large ( 300GB + ) drives you have enought storage for most things. And FYI the root filesystem can be stored on one of the USB-devices. It doesn't have to be stored on the 8MB flash. My interest in it is due to the fact that my current two servers makes alot of noise, are big and uses alot of eletricity. If I could replace them with a NLSU2 running linux and python I could use all my allready developed software on a system costing 1/10th of my current server, with almost no noise and consume very little eletricity. I just think that's very interesting. The first project I have in mind is a web-interface to my digital image collection, in which I can organise the pictures in categories, add metadata, generate galleries and slideshows etc. From what I can see the NSLU2 would have little problems serving this specific purpose, in addition to serving the images thru samba as well so I can access them with my laptop, my KISS DP-558 PVR and my XBox. The "distro"/replacement-firmware for the NSLU2 allready have most of the modules I need ( CherryPy, pySQLite/SQLite ). The only thing missing is, as I said earlier, PIL. I think anything running linux and especially Python, is awsome, I'll admit that. Perhaps I'm just blinded by all that and cannot see the fact that 266Mhz isn't enough "juice". But I really do think the NSLU2 is suitable for running a project like I described above, based on the stuff I've read about other projects using the box. If I'm wrong a heads up would be great so I can save my money. Save money to buy a mini mac/mini intel/barebone, because that's the alternative for me right now, and really silent barebone systems tend to cost alot more, generate heat and use electricity like a normal computer ( and pack alot more punch of course ). I don't own a NSLU2 yet, but intend to buy one soon. If the python project is successful I'll post some info here. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list