Hello,
I'm wondering what requirements you guys would recommend for hosting a pitboss server (~8 participants). Both internet speed and computer requirements.

Cheers!

You need 24/7 inet connection and a running computer pretty much. Running the pitboss application itself doesn't take much...

Do I need to have Civ4 installed on the computer that hosts the pitboss server?

Pretty sure that you do.

Affirmative.

The game is actually played on the server through peer to peer connections.

Do I need windows? or can the pitboss client be run on linux maybe?

There is no civ for linux. There is civ for mac but mostly older patches afaik...

It could be played under certain conditions under Linux:
http://tombuntu.com/index.php/2007/10/24/civilization-iv-on-linux-updated-how-to/
(With wine, which emulates Windows.)

It looks like that Pitboss works on Linux with wine too.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=6547872#post6547872
But there are no confirmations to this post yet.

Redarg

€dit: 1. The client for PitBoss is Civilization itself.
2. PitBoss ist a Server application without 3D-graphics. So you do not need an expensive video card.
3. Many Gigs of harddisc space can be saved because accordig to 2. the graphics (and soundfiles) are not needed.
4. The installroutine does not need to run, copying the files to the PitBoss server computer is enough.

I run 2 Pitboss games on a Pentium 3 933 MHz. It complains about the specs when you install the game but since Pitboss doesn't use graphics, the game runs smoothly. I did notice that my CPU spikes at 100% for 4-5 seconds at the turn changes, but it's nothing important.