Initially configure your Mac Mini Server
At this point, in theory, you have two options to configure your Mac Mini Server remotely: You can continue your Virtual Network Computing (VNC) session, or you can use the Server Admin application that you installed while you were waiting for your memory upgrade to arrive. Apple’s preferred method is to use Server Admin, but it didn’t work for me (the server software wouldn’t accept the software serial number). Either way, you’ll need to know three things:
- The account name and password for the server administrator
- Your Mac OS X Server software serial number (this is not the Mac Mini Server hardware serial number)
- Network settings for the server (IP address, subnet mask, router, and DNS servers)
What you do next depends on whether you’re going to keep the Mac Mini Server where it is or if you’re going to ship it off for co-location services at a hosting or service provider.
If you’re going to co-locate the Mac Mini Server at your internet service provider or another hosting service, configure an administrator account name and password and use the provider’s configuration information to configure the Mac Mini Server’s network connection. That’s it—you can box up your Mac Mini Server and ship it off to your service provider or hosting service.
If you’re going to leave the Mac Mini Server where it is, continue with the VNC session at least to the point where you’re required to enter the software serial number. Upon successfully entering the software serial number you can either continue with the VNC session or switch to Server Admin (Apple’s preferred method) and configure your server for your particular purpose(s).
At a minimum, you’ll want to do the following:
- Open System Preferences and click the Desktop & Screen Saver panel.
- Set the Desktop image to as simple an image as possible (like a solid color); VNC sessions over slow network connections work a lot better with a simple background image.
- Set the Screen Saver’s Start screen saver time to Never. There’s a VNC bug that prevents the screen from displaying when waking up from a screen saver.
- Return to System Preferences and click the Security panel.
- Check the Disable remote control infrared receiver checkbox. This prevents the server from responding to any Apple Remote.
- Return to System Preferences and click the Energy Saver panel.
- Set the Computer sleep: slider to Never. This is a server, remember?
- Set the Display sleep: slider to Never. You don’t have a monitor connected and you want immediate access via VNC when necessary.
- Uncheck the Put hard disk(s) to sleep when possible checkbox.
- Check the Wake for network access checkbox.
- Uncheck the Allow power button to put the computer to sleep checkbox.
- Check the Start up automatically after a power failure checkbox.
- Check the Restart automatically if the computer “freezes” checkbox
- Return to System Preferences and click the Network panel.
- Configure your network settings as appropriate based on your network, internet service provider, or hosting provider.
- Return to System Preferences and click the Sharing panel.
- Check the services you’d like to run. Important note: Be careful not to turn off the Remote Login and Remote Management services. If you do, you won’t be able to login to your server.
- Return to System Preferences and click the Accounts panel.
- Create the accounts for the users you want to be able to login to the server. Important note: It’s a good idea to create a backup administration account. Just in case.
- Return to System Preferences and click the Date & Time panel.
- Check the Set date and time automatically checkbox and select the appropriate network time server from the menu.
- Under the Time Zone tab, select the appropriate time zone for where the server is physically located and check the Set time zone automatically using current location checkbox.
- Return to System Preferences and click the Software Update panel.
- Configure these settings to suit your preferences. Make sure that the updates won’t break your current configuration before allowing them to be installed.
At this point the rest of your server’s configuration is best handled remotely through Server Admin.
