Things I Tried

OK, so just a little background for my second post.  This will serve as a short things that I have attempted to get to the end results list.

1. Had to build a little computer to run the server on, as running it on my system was really reducing performance, and tied up my computer when it was needed for other things.
2. As I am a computer junkie/geek, I had to make a decision, do I spend money on software and use old hardware to build a server, or do I buy new hardware and jump into one of many free OS's available?
3. Decided on New Faster hardware and have played with a dozen or more different distributions of Linux and its Flavors.
4. Have decided to jump in with both feet and use Linux Mint 10, I know that I don't want to have extra stuff running to save resources, but this is all new to me.  So Mint has been the easiest to transition to, with more features that are geared toward the beginner, and it has a great support community.  Not to mention, it was a free download, burn to a CD or DVD and install it.
5. Mint also provides a way to get Java and its clunky, but it works, and I need to have Java to run the Minecraft server.
6. Once up and running, some port configurations for the Router, getting the External IP address (Just Google "External IP" without quotes, then give out the IP with the port that the Minecraft Server is using and my Kids 400 Miles away were in and Playing too. The External IP and Port you provide looks something like this, 198.456.3.21:10000 when you put it into Minecraft.

Well, its up and running, people in the family are joining, we are all building things, people are starting to encase others homes in Snow mounds and fill them with water.