Linux server

Alright guys, I'm going to see if I can get any serious comments and tips form 4chan. Lets see what happens! In before tl;dr.

I currently have a server primarly hosting TeamSpeak, Apache/PHP web stuffs, and some FTP goodness, although the FTP server doesn't get used all that much.

The problem? Its running on Windows 2000. Its been fairly stable, but something thats really been a pain in my ass is administering it remotely (specifically, from one of my desktops rather than walking into my server closet and directly interacting with the server). Plus its not Windows 2000 Server, its just the regular kind, so its really a desktop environment on a server.

So the obvious answer would be to switch to Linux. Not only would remote administration be easier, it would be all-around better anyway because it would be Linux.

The thing is, I'm a total noob when it comes to using Linux in a server environment. In fact, I've never installed Linux for use as a server operating system! Oh nos!! I wouldn't call myself a pro on the desktop side of Linux, but I know enough to be dangerous.

How much different is installing Linux, if at all, on a server? What tips and tricks do you guys have for me that will help me make my server 100% awesome? I was thinking of using Debian, is that total suck or good stuff for server use?

I've googled and found a lot of tutorials on installing and administering the software I will need for the server to run, but its easy to know the method without the magic behind it and end up with crap, right?

Thanks in advance for any useful comments.

not really much different to install on a server than a desktop.  but be prepared to fiddle with settings until your brain melts.  ideally, you should learn how to edit configuration files manually rather than relying on graphical frontends.

i'd say slackware is the better choice for server use.  they might not use the most cutting edge packages, but you'll end up with a rock solid system right out of the box.