Advice of Distro
 

I have created a website which i'm running locally on my PC (Ubuntu) it uses Apache, MySql and PHP I have been given the go ahead to create a server so that other users in my dept can access the site on the LAN

1) What version of linux should I use, can I use Ubuntu 7.04?
2) What security measures should I take now?
3) Just general advice on the difference between a linux server and desktop

Cheers

1. You can indeed use Ubuntu if you feel you're most comfortable with it.

2. You should run a firewall if you think people will try to break into your server. If it's on a LAN and you use some kind of authentication it's probably a good idea to run https (encrypts the traffic). Because on a LAN it's very easy to sniff peoples passwords and you don't want that. You should also make sure that the PHP pages aren't susceptible to sql injections (though I admit, that might prove difficult). Also, you should look around in the Security forum because there are lots of great tips there.

3. There is no real difference between a desktop and a server except the way it's used. A desktop might be used for word processing, surfing the web and so on.

A server might be used for sharing files and printers, serving up web pages, mail and so on.

With that said, it's a good idea on a server to just install what you need. For example, you probably don't need an X environment for your kind of server.

Ubuntu even has a server-specific installation that does not install X and other unnecessary programs, leaving you with less to keep up to date and consume resources.

Cheers for you advice so far Im not too bothered about X (that would be a nice feature to show off)

One other thing that I should have mentioned before it is going to be used on a VM to host my site? so do some distros work better on VM than others

No matter what distro you decide on, PLEASE run a firewall. A correctly configured firewall at that. Limit access to only those users and ports that you absolutely must.

Its been said before, but not having a firewall is like leaving your front door wide open. This is especially true of servers. I would really hate to see that you are the next person who is sending me out 1,000 spam messages a day because some hacker has taken control of your mail server...

will do mate, as this is just going to be an internal webserver though do I need to setup a firewall they would have to get past BT first before they got to our lan

cornish: Don't underestimate what people on the LAN might do =) So yeah, my bet is you need a firewall. Besides, learning about firewalls is fun and it's good to know. And if you run into trouble, just ask on the forum and I'm sure you'll get some help.

Run a distro you're familiar with (doesn't matter which), run a firewall (be creative with rules, don't trust anyone, I suggest restrict anything but 80 since it's supposed to be a webserver).
Do not trust distro packages for Apache & PHP, learn how to compile from sources, experiment with different options, this will save you a lot of headaches later.