[TriLUG] prowling for a small form-factor Linux box

[Greg Brown]

Hey all.  I'm starting to search for a small form-factor linux box.   
The purpose of this server is going to be the front-end of my home 
audio system.  I've been ordered to get the 400 or so CDs digitized, 
organized, categorized, etc.  So, my thoughts here are to rip 
everything to MP3 (to allow for portability between the Macs) and place 
all the files on my upstairs disk server.

I'm looking for a small form factor *with excellent audio* (as I'd like 
to plug this into my existing home audio system via RCA jacks) and an 
PHP/Apache web server to sit downstairs on a 100 meg link.  All the CDs 
and tracks will be organized in a MySQL database residing on the disk 
server.  The user interface will be the PHP/Apache interface on the 
small form factor box.  The idea here is the little, and hopefully 
quiet, box will pull songs off the disk server and cache them on the 
audio server to be played over the stereo.

Does anyone have any idea what might fit this bill?  Audio quality and 
noise are the highest factors followed by appearance and power draw.  
I'm hoping to find something that sounds great, looks great, and uses 
little power.   Heh.. if only it were that easy!

Greg