bruce wrote:(or install the server version of Linux)
Maybe, but technically their isnt any difference between the desktop and server versions, besides less software and whether you install X or not. httpd, php, mariadb, etc are the same across both versions. It generally comes down to the experience of the user, whether beginner, power user or expert.
Every install I do is a netinstall, ie the most minimal system possible then i install exactly the software I want on top of that template. So no clutter. The only difference between what i do and a server install is what you add in after you have your base system. The kernel, etc is the same, unless you are running really custom hardware or maybe deploying a rackmount system with custom SAS drivers, etc.
For a headless folding server, just take the debian netinstall, setup a base system, add in the requirements for folding, like curl, etc, install the folding deb, configure any config files, add ftp, ssh, etc, if you need it and run a test. If all checks out, put it on a shelf somewhere and ignore it. Or at least thats what i used to do when i ran headless systems.