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mac mini server setup
- Thread starter mitch21
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Running a server is taking you in a professional enterprise area...so you must first know what you want to do. Server will cost to $20...most important is you'll need to monitor your server. The learning curve is steep. I suggest getting a domain to use with your server if you don't already have one.
Read up as much as possible, and I suggest joining the forum here: https://discussions.apple.com/community/servers_enterprise_software/os_x_server
When I was setting up mine for my home office, this guy's videos helped: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD1-hwFmYAz5PcpgxHV7dDA
Good luck!
What do you actually need to do with the server? Just sharing files - or is there anything else?
For file sharing between four users I would not mess with any complicated server setup like this stuff ( https://www.apple.com/osx/server/ ) Some will tell you it's great but it can quickly become a pain in the.....
All you need is to just turn on file sharing on the Mac Mini. (System Preferences - Sharing - File Sharing )
If you need more file storage capacity than is onboard the mini, you could spend a lot of money on a thunderbolt like this for example:
http://www.caldigit.com/T3/#tab3
...but you could also just buy a Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter ( http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD464ZM/A/apple-thunderbolt-to-firewire-adapter ) and all of a sudden you can attach any of the much cheaper Firewire 800 storage unit products out there. Unless you planned on putting SSD's in the external storage, I'm going to say it would be just as fast for file serving purposes.
All you need is to just turn on file sharing on the Mac Mini. (System Preferences - Sharing - File Sharing )
If you need more file storage capacity than is onboard the mini, you could spend a lot of money on a thunderbolt like this for example:
http://www.caldigit.com/T3/#tab3
...but you could also just buy a Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter ( http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD464ZM/A/apple-thunderbolt-to-firewire-adapter ) and all of a sudden you can attach any of the much cheaper Firewire 800 storage unit products out there. Unless you planned on putting SSD's in the external storage, I'm going to say it would be just as fast for file serving purposes.
Yes you can just use file sharing on the mini, nothing extra needed but a good DAS concept.
If you find you want to add a time machine destination, a web server, a email server, or have finer shared folder control on .... etc you need the server pack.
I found setting up web services, TM destinations, and file sharing to be strait forward and a no brainer. The server package help files and setup guides lead you through without complication. If you need different permissions for shared folder or disks, then thats easy to set up with a server package.
The server package has other thinks one could toy with, but you need to know what you are doing... and that learning curve can be steeper. Otherwise its a no brainer
BTW there seems to be less issues with Mavericks and Mavericks server software than Yositime.
If you find you want to add a time machine destination, a web server, a email server, or have finer shared folder control on .... etc you need the server pack.
I found setting up web services, TM destinations, and file sharing to be strait forward and a no brainer. The server package help files and setup guides lead you through without complication. If you need different permissions for shared folder or disks, then thats easy to set up with a server package.
The server package has other thinks one could toy with, but you need to know what you are doing... and that learning curve can be steeper. Otherwise its a no brainer
BTW there seems to be less issues with Mavericks and Mavericks server software than Yositime.
I agree with what you said. Will add however that even permissions are as simple as clicking a box at "System Preferences - Sharing - File Sharing" on any mac. No server app needed for that.