OSX Server Questions...

[Nerdtastic]

Hi,
In our household we have a mix of Macbooks and Windows machines. I am looking to setup a server to manage these. I am just wondering if I should use OSX Server on a Hackintosh (would it be cheaper and easier to get a mac mini?) or Windows Home Server. I was going to use it for a few things:

-Media Server
-File Sharing
-Maybe backups
-Minecraft server/other servers
-Needs to run 24/7
-Easy to use (relatively)

I really like OSX server but I am wondering is it easy to do these things with non-mac hardware.

Thanks
(sorry. I am new to networking

 

[dimme]

Although you may be able to get a hackintouch to run server, it may be a bad idea. You may never to be able to get all the services you want to run correctly.

As far a which OS for your needs you may want to look into Amahi http://www.amahi.org. because you have a mix of mac and windows and it's a bit more straight forward that running a regular linux server.

At my last job we need a simple file server for our mixed of Mac and windows, and a PC running a desktop version of linux worked great and the hardware did not break the bank.

OS X server is great but you will not realize all the benefits running it in a mixed environment. Before I moved to OS X server I was running WHS2011 and I liked it but being all mac I decided to go with OS X server.

 

[Nerdtastic]

Thanks!
Amahi looks good. Is their alot of support for it?

 

[apunkrockmonk]

I'd like to add that I run Mavericks Server just fine on both a Hackintosh and virtualized on an ESXi hypervisor (gigabyte g31m-es2l with a core 2 duo).

If you don't mind the hassle of building a hackintosh, which these days isn't much if you choose your parts wisely, you should be fine to use one instead of a Mac Mini should you choose to go the OS X Server route.

 

[Nerdtastic]

I'd like to add that I run Mavericks Server just fine on both a Hackintosh and virtualized on an ESXi hypervisor (gigabyte g31m-es2l with a core 2 duo).

If you don't mind the hassle of building a hackintosh, which these days isn't much if you choose your parts wisely, you should be fine to use one instead of a Mac Mini should you choose to go the OS X Server route.

How different is the installation for OS X Server over a Mavericks build?
Is it as simple as installing Mavericks then downloading the Server from the app store?
Thanks

 

[apunkrockmonk]

How different is the installation for OS X Server over a Mavericks build?
Is it as simple as installing Mavericks then downloading the Server from the app store?
Thanks

It is exactly that simple!

I'm using it for the Caching, File Sharing, NetInstall and VPN services currently, I have no reason to suspect that any service wouldn't work properly on a Hackintosh.

 

[Nerdtastic]

Awesome!
I was just thinking of using the mini ITX build from tonymacx86's build guide as a starter template.