SheevaPlug
A SheevaPlug is a low powered device designed to run network based services - a computer in a plug basically!
Ubuntu (default)
The plug comes with a default Ubuntu install, after fixing the problems with apt you can update and upgrade the software packages.
Fix the initial misconfigurations - http://plugcomputer.org/plugwiki/index.php/New_Plugger_How_To
Debian
I ended up using the SheevaPlug debian installer and running with squeeze (lenny was stable at time of install) as the Sheevaplug installer required a PHP dependency on my desktop which I didn't want to install.Restoring the u-Boot defaults were required as I managed to break something at one stage!
Reduce Flash Writes
Follow article on reducing flash writes.
Time Sync
apt-get install ntp ntpdate
Choose internet site and default values after running the following command
dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config
Make sure root alias is standard user in /etc/alias and add a .forward file into the standard user's home directory.
Update Reminders
apt-get install apticron
Subversion
apt-get install subversion subversion-tools
Tor
apt-get install tor
Update listen-address in /etc/privoxy/config, changing localhost to machine IP (this allows remote connections)
Add, or update, the line for socks4a-proxy forwarding to the following (note IP, not the word localhost)
forward-socks4a / 127.0.0.1:9050 .
Torrents
apt-get install rtorrent
Other
Nabble thread on which JVM to run - http://old.nabble.com/Java-%2B-Tomcat-slow-on-TS-109-tt20003260.html
apt-get install icedtea-6-jre-cacao apt-get install openjdk-6-jdk