Hi jabss!
Almost all the answers you need can be found here: http://www.zeroshell.net/eng/documentation/ (start with “Building packages from source by abbra kadabra (vpn_rollercoaster)” ).
There is another great OS for routers and embed systems that you should look at: OpenWRT. All the apps that you need are available via packet manager (opkg).
If you have problems with the the samba fix, let me know.