Why dont you setup a normal linux box, for example debian would be just perfect very stable no maintenance and you can add a job to cron like (apt-get update ; apt-get upgrade) once a month and get all the lovly apps updated for you without having to even look at the box! When its all setup apt-get install gimp, mozilla etc use NFS (Network File System) to mount your /usr/ /home/ etc and just launch the applications as if they where localy. We Do that at work and it works really nicely (unless 10 poeple start startoffice at the same time). If you do it like that, you will get many problems booting so i would suggest that you dont mount the Application server as /usr & /home and ... but as /usr_remote/ and edit your path.
Its very simple to do, please say if your wanting to do so and ill give a few more tasty info on it. But i dont like typing long off-topic messages
Have fun. Oliver.
Basic Linux with NFS?
