Setup Mac mini without monitor

[gigatoaster]

Hello there

I bought a mini M1 but I don’t have a monitor, neither mouse and keyboard. I can’t borrow some. I have a MacBook Pro. Can I use it to setup the mini? It’s in the box at the moment.

 

[Fishrrman]

It may be possible.
But I don't see how it could be done without peripherals.

But this begs a question:
WHY would anyone buy a Mini, without the display and peripherals to use same...?

 

[pldelisle]

But this begs a question:
WHY would anyone buy a Mini, without the display and peripherals to use same...?

Server use case.

 

[ignatius345]

You're gonna need a keyboard, mouse and monitor. I bet you could get minimum viable versions of all three for a total of $50 or free if you get creative.

 

[RUGERMAN]

You're gonna need a keyboard, mouse and monitor. I bet you could get minimum viable versions of all three for a total of $50 or free if you get creative.

Go to a Good Will, I got a key board for$3 and I see monitors and mice very cheap also.

 

[raccoontail]

Go to a Good Will, I got a key board for$3 and I see monitors and mice very cheap also.

Good advice. I picked up a 17" SVGA monitor for $25 which I use in my work setup as an extra display exclusively for email. Anything larger is distracting.

 

[lupinglade]

You could use a TV as a display.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I use my Mac mini headless as a server. However, you have to have a keyboard and mouse / trackpad to set it up (preferably wired). Once it is set up, you can use your MacBook Pro / iPad or iPhone to remote into the mini, for the times you need to do some maintenance or retrieve a file etc.

 

[jackoverfull]

I setup my Mac mini for server use back in 2005 without having a monitor. Command-F5 to turn voiceover on, then it was quite doable. Eventually I enabled screen sharing and could control the server over the net using a virtual Remote Desktop.