Running Ubuntu box headless

[Robert Parker]

I have 2 boxes, a Duron 850meg running Debian Woody.
This box I have connected to the internet and I use it for email/web and 
downloading bits and pieces.

My fast machine runs an Athlon 2600 and I have Ubuntu and a number of small 
partitions I use to test out installing various Linux distros. I use this box 
for storage of various distros, Debian Sarge, Fedora, Mandake etc as cds 
and/or dvd iso images. This box has both a cd and dvd burner installed.

What I want to do is to run the box headless, transferring downloaded isos 
via scp and controlling the burning of them by ssh.

At the moment I run the Ubuntu/Athlon via a kvm switch.

I can log into Gnome on the Ubuntu box and transfer any isos on to it via scp 
and clean them out of the debian box via ssh.

When I try to log into the Ubuntu box from debian via ssh all I get is 
permision denied errors, so the first thing I need to learn is how to get 
past that.

Secondly I need to add to the Grub menu.lst so it boots into command line 
mode not Gnome, and I suppose automatically logs in to some user when I start 
it without having a monitor/kb/mouse connected.

Pointers please.

Regards
Bob