Setting up late 2012 mini

[aggmiami]

Folks,

I need some instruction or general direction on what I should be researching for or doing. I've purchased a late 2012 mac mini, and would like to do the following:

1) I currently have a 2012 rMPB and it's being used as my day-to-day, but also as the hub for my media serving via iTunes/aTV/etc. I have a few usb 3.0 drives connected to it, but I now want to shift all of this to the mini. Is it as simple as setting up iTunes in the mini with my existing ID and then re-directing where it will look for the media (i.e. the usb drives attached)? Should I somehow disconnect iTunes from the rMPB or will they both run simultaneously???

2) I have a spare Samsung Pro SSD that I will be swapping into the mini. I would like to mirror the programs and set-up that my current rMBP has...is this possible? Or do I have to get seperate licenses for MakeMKV, Microsoft Office, Subler, etc.? I've read about people using cloning software, but not sure if this is applicable here. Not to mention, I'm not sure if I have to first mirror the mini's internal HDD into the Samsung first?

Any help is welcome...Thank you!
Alex

 

[aggmiami]

I'll be using a Samsung 830 Pro SSD as a boot drive, so has anyone had issues with this type of drive and Yosemite?

Has anyone cloned their set-up from one Mac (that will still be in service) and used it in another Mac? Is this the standard approach with a multi-Mac set-up?

 

[BeamWalker]

I have an 830 in my Macbook and an 840 in my Mini, they are solid and fast solutions so far.

 

[aggmiami]

I have an 830 in my Macbook and an 840 in my Mini, they are solid and fast solutions so far.

Thank you for the response BeamWalker.

Are they both devices that you use? Or shared in your family? I'm curious as to how you manage the two in terms of shared applications or simply two independent devices?

Do you use the Mini as a media hub? If so, do you point your Macbook to the Mini when accessing your own music, movies, etc.?

 

[BeamWalker]

I use both Macs myself. I use the Macbook for Internet, Music and on the go. The Mini is for more serious work like Photo and Video Editing or Web Development. I have all my programs on both systems, Libraries like Lightrooms are not shared between the Macs. My itunes collection however is on both devices and is updated automatically. There is Plex on the Mini since it is also connected to my TV but the Library is on an external Drive and since I own an Apple TV and a subscription streaming service I hardly use that anymore.

Both systems are equipped with 120 GB SSD an 1TB HDD.

 

[aggmiami]

My itunes collection however is on both devices and is updated automatically.

Both? So are they 2 seperate iTunes ID's or the same ID? Are they somehow mirrored? Do you download music from one or rip CD's to one and then clone that drive manually to the other Mac on a regular basis? Are you using Home Sharing in one to access the other?

Thanks

 

[talmy]

1) I currently have a 2012 rMPB and it's being used as my day-to-day, but also as the hub for my media serving via iTunes/aTV/etc. I have a few usb 3.0 drives connected to it, but I now want to shift all of this to the mini. Is it as simple as setting up iTunes in the mini with my existing ID and then re-directing where it will look for the media (i.e. the usb drives attached)? Should I somehow disconnect iTunes from the rMPB or will they both run simultaneously???

No reason you can't run iTunes on both, but serve from the mini. I'd expect you'd still want iTunes on the rMBP for playing music away from home anyway.

2) I have a spare Samsung Pro SSD that I will be swapping into the mini. I would like to mirror the programs and set-up that my current rMBP has...is this possible? Or do I have to get seperate licenses for MakeMKV, Microsoft Office, Subler, etc.? I've read about people using cloning software, but not sure if this is applicable here. Not to mention, I'm not sure if I have to first mirror the mini's internal HDD into the Samsung first?

A great thing about Macs is you can take a boot drive from one Mac and boot another system with it (as long as the OS version is compatible with the target system). It's also easy to clone a drive for this, as well as for backups. You can use CarbonCopyCloner, SuperDuper, or Disk Utility (although the last choice while free is slow). You can either clone the internal drive into the SSD and then swap the drives, or swap the drives then boot from the HDD externally and clone into the internal SSD. Either way will work.

As far as moving the complete system drive contents from one computer to another, I've done that for mini to mini (three of my five minis run identical disk images), and have also booted a MBP image on my iMac and on a mini. The only problem can be software that is keyed to a specific serial number -- you will have to reenter the license information and might hit limitations. But if you are intending the mini as just a media server you don't really need Microsoft Office on it! (I have no experience with the other programs -- I thought they were free).

 

[BeamWalker]

Both? So are they 2 seperate iTunes ID's or the same ID? Are they somehow mirrored? Do you download music from one or rip CD's to one and then clone that drive manually to the other Mac on a regular basis? Are you using Home Sharing in one to access the other?

Thanks

Same ID. Initially I just copied the entire Folder from one Device to the other. So I was able to keep statistics data like how many times I played a song etc. From now on every time I download a song it appears on both Macs (iTunes in the cloud feature). If I add a song manually to one Library I just hit the sync button on the other one (since Home Sharing is enabled there is no need for Thumbdrives, cloning etc it all works via network).

 

[kboller07]

You can clone your rMBP drive using SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner. Keep in mind that superduper won't clone your recovery partition.

For iTunes I've found that I keep it booted on my mini and serve content from it to the other macs in my home using home sharing. I toyed with the idea of keeping my iTunes folder in dropbox but you can only have it open on one Mac at a time, otherwise the next time you open iTunes the library becomes corrupt.

 

[talmy]

For iTunes I've found that I keep it booted on my mini and serve content from it to the other macs in my home using home sharing. I toyed with the idea of keeping my iTunes folder in dropbox but you can only have it open on one Mac at a time, otherwise the next time you open iTunes the library becomes corrupt.

Yes it really likes the database (which tracks ratings, number of plays, playlists...) not to be shared. However you can safely keep all the music files on one system. Do not check "Copy Files to iTunes Media Folder when adding to library" in Advanced Preferences on the systems other than the one holding the music files. You do have to manually add purchased music on each system. This works reasonably well if you don't add new music very often.

 

[aggmiami]

Same ID. Initially I just copied the entire Folder from one Device to the other. So I was able to keep statistics data like how many times I played a song etc. From now on every time I download a song it appears on both Macs (iTunes in the cloud feature). If I add a song manually to one Library I just hit the sync button on the other one (since Home Sharing is enabled there is no need for Thumbdrives, cloning etc it all works via network).

I cloned my SSD the other night and plugged it into the Mini via an OWC Mercury Elite Pro usb 3.0 external. I booted off the external without issue and then populated codes for software that needed it or loaded some via the App store with same apple ID. Ran a black magic speed test and the SSD seems to be responding pretty fast even though its externally connected. Ideally I'd prefer using TB if I can find a capable and affordable external...although replacing the Mini's internal HDD is still an option if necessary.

I then shared the Mini with my rMPB, so I basically gave the macbook visibility/access. Researching more, I decided to create an alias of the 2 external HDD's that contain my media and are directly connected via usb 3.0 as well. I have to make sure these drives are always connected even after a reboot of the rMBP. My issue right now is that I get an error message while trying to direct the rMBP's iTunes to use the libraries/HDD's connected to my Mini.


The message says..."An iTunes library file could not be found in the folder "iTunes". Please choose a different folder."...if I go one folder further, I get..."The iTunes Library.it file is locked, on a locked disk, or you do not have write permission for this file."

I have access to the drives, because I've already played some MKV's for example via DVDFab on the rMBP. So I certainly have access. When I get info on the ".itl" file, it seems like I have read right permission. I' just trying to get this part figured out now.

 

[aggmiami]

Thanks for the response talmy...

No reason you can't run iTunes on both, but serve from the mini. I'd expect you'd still want iTunes on the rMBP for playing music away from home anyway.

Correct, this makes a lot of sense, and was what I was hoping for. I just having some issues directing iTunes to the Mini's attached drives right now. I'm getting that ".itl" error I mentioned in the post above. Trying to figure this out. Or maybe the approach I took was simply not the ideal one.

You can either clone the internal drive into the SSD and then swap the drives, or swap the drives then boot from the HDD externally and clone into the internal SSD. Either way will work.

This part seems to have gone well and the external Samsung drive booted perfectly. The software piece has also worked, but I have had to type in serial numbers for one and simple logging in with apple ID for others.

But if you are intending the mini as just a media server you don't really need Microsoft Office on it! (I have no experience with the other programs -- I thought they were free).

Yes, the biggest thing was finally un-tethering my rMBP! The Mini could now be the media hub for the family. The issue with Office is simply that the Mini will also play double duty for my kids who are starting to use it at times for exercises/homework, so was hoping to not lose out on that.

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Yes it really likes the database (which tracks ratings, number of plays, playlists...) not to be shared. However you can safely keep all the music files on one system. Do not check "Copy Files to iTunes Media Folder when adding to library" in Advanced Preferences on the systems other than the one holding the music files. You do have to manually add purchased music on each system. This works reasonably well if you don't add new music very often.

Sounds like I should not be trying to "choose library" while opening iTunes on the rMBP and instead select "create library". This may give me access to iTunes and then I can go in and THEN direct iTunes to the shared HDD's attached to the Mini???

I can then also make that Advanced Preferences change you're suggesting.

 

[talmy]

Sounds like I should not be trying to "choose library" while opening iTunes on the rMBP and instead select "create library". This may give me access to iTunes and then I can go in and THEN direct iTunes to the shared HDD's attached to the Mini???

I can then also make that Advanced Preferences change you're suggesting.

Yes, that's how I do it.

 

[aggmiami]

Yes, that's how I do it.

Yup, this worked. I also refreshed the Home Sharing feature on the newly setup Mini and that triggered at least one of the aTV's that I tested. Should be fine on the other ones as well.

Thanks