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doxavita

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 6, 2010
614
3
I would like to make my own home server one day. I'm a total newbie regarding servers. Is Mac OS X server the way to go? Do I really need it?
What knowledge must I possess?

Is OS X Server the same as the client version in terms of being able to install programs? What changes? Can I get a server functioning in the client version too? Is the server version worth those extra $500?

So like I said, eventually I would like to make my own server (at home), so, do I need a Mac Pro for that?

Your guidance will be much appreciated, thx!
 

MacForScience

macrumors 6502
Sep 7, 2010
481
5
USA
I would like to make my own home server one day. I'm a total newbie regarding servers. Is Mac OS X server the way to go? Do I really need it?
What knowledge must I possess?

Is OS X Server the same as the client version in terms of being able to install programs? What changes? Can I get a server functioning in the client version too? Is the server version worth those extra $500?

So like I said, eventually I would like to make my own server (at home), so, do I need a Mac Pro for that?

Your guidance will be much appreciated, thx!

Slow-down there, what do you want to use it for?

Streaming video?

Streaming music?

Cause its cool?

Sharing Files with another computer (one)?

Answer yes to any of the above and the answer is you don't need OS X server. Best bet either way is wait for Lion to come out.

Cheers
 

Thessman

macrumors regular
Dec 8, 2005
189
48
GR
I would like to make my own home server one day. I'm a total newbie regarding servers. Is Mac OS X server the way to go? Do I really need it?
What knowledge must I possess?

Is OS X Server the same as the client version in terms of being able to install programs? What changes? Can I get a server functioning in the client version too? Is the server version worth those extra $500?

So like I said, eventually I would like to make my own server (at home), so, do I need a Mac Pro for that?

Your guidance will be much appreciated, thx!


If you don't know if you need a server then you don't.
 

BornAgainMac

macrumors 604
Feb 4, 2004
7,275
5,212
Florida Resident
The Server functionality will be "free" with Lion. Just wait for it. By this summer, even Grandma will have Mac OS X Server running on her 11 inch Macbook Air.
 

doxavita

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 6, 2010
614
3
Slow-down there, what do you want to use it for?

Streaming video?

Streaming music?

Cause its cool?

Sharing Files with another computer (one)?

Answer yes to any of the above and the answer is you don't need OS X server. Best bet either way is wait for Lion to come out.

Cheers

I want my own website (something.com), perhaps host some forums too. If it's too difficult I might consider third party hosting then.
 

belvdr

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2005
5,945
1,372
The Server functionality will be "free" with Lion. Just wait for it. By this summer, even Grandma will have Mac OS X Server running on her 11 inch Macbook Air.

That's not a fact. All we know is:

apple.com said:
Lion Server is now part of Mac OS X Lion.

All it means is they consolidated the two operating systems into one. They could charge you for the server features via Mac App Store. So instead of buying a new OS, you could just buy the activation key. This isn't far fetched, considering OS X Server needs a key to work already.

I want my own website (something.com), perhaps host some forums too. If it's too difficult I might consider third party hosting then.

If you're planning on running this out of your home via your residential Internet connection, I don't believe adding OS X Server is going to suddenly make that happen.

You might try HostMonster and you can add/change these types of things on your account easily with a few clicks. I think this would be a much better fit.
 

talmy

macrumors 601
Oct 26, 2009
4,725
332
Oregon
I want my own website (something.com), perhaps host some forums too. If it's too difficult I might consider third party hosting then.

What's difficult is most home Internet service agreements don't allow running servers, and even if you do the "up" data rate is typically way too slow. Getting appropriate service is far more expensive than just buying shared server hosting from a third party.

Note that I do run a Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server as a server, but I don't use it as a web server.
 

BornAgainMac

macrumors 604
Feb 4, 2004
7,275
5,212
Florida Resident
All it means is they consolidated the two operating systems into one. They could charge you for the server features via Mac App Store. So instead of buying a new OS, you could just buy the activation key. This isn't far fetched, considering OS X Server needs a key to work already.

That sounds like the Apple I know. I'll just wait until more details are provided.
 

Tailpike1153

macrumors 6502a
Aug 31, 2004
657
56
Bellevue, WA
What's difficult is most home Internet service agreements don't allow running servers, and even if you do the "up" data rate is typically way too slow. Getting appropriate service is far more expensive than just buying shared server hosting from a third party.

Can't agree more. My dad wanted to setup his own server farm for his home biz. Getting a T3 service to his house in Southern Illinois was an outrage. I ended up going 3rd party.
 

Truffy

macrumors 6502a
I want my own website (something.com), perhaps host some forums too. If it's too difficult I might consider third party hosting then.
In addition to what others have said regarding upload rates and ISP issues, you need to have a static IP (which usually costs more) or DDNS (a PITA). And redundancy, so that if one machine goes down your site is still available.

Really, it's way simpler (and cheaper) to go for a professional, third-party hosting solution.
 

aicul

macrumors 6502a
Jun 20, 2007
809
7
no cars, only boats
Note that I do run a Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server as a server, but I don't use it as a web server.

This is probably sensible advice, also considering feedback from others on costs.

However, using mac osx server as an "in-house development" webserver is great.
 

JoshBoy

macrumors 6502
Oct 12, 2008
484
361
Sydney, Australia
If you don't know if you need a server then you don't.

I hate this arrogant response with a passion. I have asked the same question getting this response before and it displays to me how much people have their head up their own ar$&.

I am considering running lion server on my iMac because I now live on an island and I only get 4gig of download per month and need to manage my updates and need to know if I can download through server and push the updates out.
 

talmy

macrumors 601
Oct 26, 2009
4,725
332
Oregon
Lion Server is defeatured and more approachable. I now no longer recommend against buying the server OS if you are not sure you need it.

Updates/patches can always be downloaded from Apple separate from the Software Update facility and applied locally to systems. Even though I've got Snow Leopard Server here, I download major updates and install on all my systems to save bandwidth.
 

jtara

macrumors 68020
Mar 23, 2009
2,008
536
Well, Lion is out, and Server is now a $49 upgrade. So, at least this removes the cost objection.

Whatever floats your boat.

But ditto to previous advice: you don't want to run a public web server on your home/office computer. Do it more cheaply, more reliably, and faster with a shared hosting plan (fine for most), VPS, or dedicated server in a datacenter.
 

belvdr

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2005
5,945
1,372
Well, Lion is out, and Server is now a $49 upgrade. So, at least this removes the cost objection.

Note that it is an $80 upgrade: $30 for Lion and $50 for Lion Server. You have to buy both to upgrade.

Even though I've got Snow Leopard Server here, I download major updates and install on all my systems to save bandwidth.

I was trying to set that up on SLS and it kept downloading updates for versions I didn't have, which wasted more bandwidth than it saved. :/
 

Therbo

macrumors regular
Mar 25, 2011
114
0
United Kingdom
You don't need Lion server.

All the things that Lion Server "can do", Lion comes out of the box will full support for UNIX programs and programming languages, such as Apache, NGINX, Postfix, Dovecot, Sendmail, MySQL, PHP, Perl etc,

If you want to setup a home web server with VirtualHost with Apache? Use Terminal to set it up, Google tutorials, once you learn how todo it you realise how easy it is. (OSX comes with Apache, but you could replace it with any other web server thats compatible)

Your OS X has server technologies already built in, all OS X Server is a GUI fronted of them, why not take advantage of them if you've already got them, and do it like a pro.

It isn't Windows where you have to pay to get a web server, namely a crap one (IIS)
 

theluggage

macrumors 604
Jul 29, 2011
7,475
7,314
You don't need Lion server.
If you want to setup a home web server with VirtualHost with Apache? Use Terminal to set it up, Google tutorials, once you learn how todo it you realise how easy it is. (OSX comes with Apache, but you could replace it with any other web server thats compatible)

...and that has the added advantage that it might actually work, unlike the VirtualHost setup in Lion Server.

Seriously though, if the original poster is still around: Pay a couple of hundred bucks a year for a Linux-based Virtual Private Server from a web hosting provider. Your website will benefit from fast connections, you'll get your own domain name, you can set it up as a mail server/spam filter/mailing list server and most of them come with a pretty good control panel that goes a lot further than Lion Server before dumping you at the Unix command line.
 

DisMyMac

macrumors 65816
Sep 30, 2009
1,087
11
Seriously though, if the original poster is still around: Pay a couple of hundred bucks a year for a Linux-based Virtual Private Server from a web hosting provider.

Based on how the internet is structured, I believe there's a conspiracy to keep web servers accessible to federal spy agencies. For that reason alone I don't think we'll ever see home web servers.
 

theluggage

macrumors 604
Jul 29, 2011
7,475
7,314
Based on how the internet is structured, I believe there's a conspiracy to keep web servers accessible to federal spy agencies. For that reason alone I don't think we'll ever see home web servers.

Nonsense. If you shop around a bit its easy to find an ISP that offers a static IP address and permits you to run servers. There are even dynamic dns services that let you run severs without a static IP. Enable web sharing on your Mac (you don't even need server) set up your router to forward ports 80 and 443 to your Mac and you are in business.

The problem is that most home users use ADSL connections for which the upload speed is a fraction of the download speed. They also rely on "sharing" limited bandwidth between multiple customers. That is perfect for web browsing and email, but not good for server use (and if too many people download from your site, everybody on your circuit will get lousy speeds), which is why some ISPs prohibit this.

So if you want to do any serious home serving you either (a) need to pay for a business grade DSL connection or (b) use a co-located server or virtual private server sitting in a nice server farm with a top-tier internet link.

For the majority of small fry, (b) is the sensible option.
 

talmy

macrumors 601
Oct 26, 2009
4,725
332
Oregon
So if you want to do any serious home serving you either (a) need to pay for a business grade DSL connection or (b) use a co-located server or virtual private server sitting in a nice server farm with a top-tier internet link.

For the majority of small fry, (b) is the sensible option.

The relative pricing and support issues are such that (b) is the sensible option for small and even medium sized businesses as well.
 
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